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The  Ford  of  Montemar.     page  149. 


OR, 


THE    LITTLE     DUKE 


BY    THE    AUTHOR    OF 


"THE  HEIR  OF  REDCLYFFE,"  "KINGS  OF  ENGLAND." 


With  Illustrations,  Drawn  and  Lithographed  by 


Jkur  be  tous  nvdttts  bmnoiscaus-s. 


t 


NEW   YORK: 
D.   APPLETON   AND   COMPANY, 


346  &  348  BROADWAY. 
1856. 


t 


THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 


CHAPTEK  I. 


On  a  bright  autumn  day,  as  long  ago  as  the 
year  943,  there  was  a  great  bustle  in  the  Castle 
of  Bayeux,  in  Normandy. 

The  hall  was  large  and  low,  the  roof  arched, 
and  supported  on  thick  short  columns,  almost 
like  the  crypt  of  a  cathedral ;  the  walls  were 
thick,  and  the  windows,  which  had  no  glass,  were 
very  small,  set  in  such  a  depth  of  wall  that  there 
was  a  wide,  deep  window-seat,  upon  which  the 
rain  might  beat,  without  reaching  the  interior 
of  the  room.  And  even  if  it  had  come  in,  there 
was  nothing  for  it  to  hurt,  for  the  walls  were  of 
rough  stone,  and  the  floor  of  tiles.  There  was 
a  fire  at  each  end  of  this  great  dark  apartment, 
but  there  .were  no  chimneys  over   the    ample 


6  THE    LITTLE   DUKE. 

hearths,  and  the  smoke  curled  about  in  thick 
white  folds  in  the  vaulted  roof,  adding  to  the 
wreaths  of  soot,  which  made  the  hall  look  still 
darker. 

The  fire  at  the  lower  end  was  by  far  the  larg- 
est and  the  hottest.  Great  black  caldrons  hung 
over  it,  and  servants,  both  men  and  women,  with 
red  faces,  bare  and  grimed  arms,  and  long  iron 
hooks,  or  pots  and  pans,  were  busied  around  it. 
At  the  other  end,  which  was  raised  about  three 
steps  above  the  floor  of  the  hall,  other  servants 
were  engaged.  Two  young  maidens  were  strew- 
ing fresh  rushes  on  the  floor  ;  some  men  were  set- 
ting up  a  long  table  of  rough  boards,  supported 
on  trestles,  and  then  ranging  upon  it  silver  cups, 
drinking  horns,  and  wooden  trenchers. 

Benches  were  placed  to  receive  most  of  the 
guests,  but  in  the  middle,  at  the  place  of  honour, 
was  a  high  chair  with  very  thick  crossing  legs, 
and  the  arms  curiously  carved  with  lions'  faces 
and  claws,  a  clumsy  wooden  footstool  was  set  in 
front,  and  the  silver  drinking-cup  on  the  table 
was  of  far  more  beautiful  workmanship  than  the 
others,  richly  chased  with  vine  leaves  and  grapes, 
and  figures  of  little  boys  with  goats'  legs.  If 
that  cup  could  have  told  its  story,  it  would  have 
been  a  strange  one,  for  it  had  Ik  en  made  long 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  7 

since,  in  the  old  Koman  times,  and  had  been  car- 
ried off  from  Italy  by  some  Northman  pirate. 

From  one  of  these  scenes  of  activity  to  the 
other,  there  moved  a  stately  old  lady,  her  long 
thick  light  hair,  hardly  touched  with  grey,  was 
bound  round  her  head,  under  a  tall  white  cap, 
with  a  band  passing  under  her  chin  ;  she  wore  a 
long  sweeping  dark  robe,  with  wide  hanging 
sleeves,  and  thick  gold  ear-rings,  and  necklace, 
which  had  possibly  come  from  the  same  quarter 
as  the  cup.  She  directed  the  servants,  inspected 
both  the  cookery  and  arrangements  of  the  table, 
held  council  with  an  old  steward,  now  and  then 
looked  rather  anxiously  from  the  window,  as  if 
expecting  some  one,  and  began  to  say  something 
about  fears  that  these  loitering  youths  would  not 
bring  home  the  venison  in  time  for  Duke  Wil- 
liam's supper. 

Presently,  she  looked  up  rejoiced,  for  a  few 
notes  of  a  bugle-horn  were  sounded  ;  there  was 
a  clattering  of  feet,  and  in  a  few  moments  there 
bounded  into  the  hall,  a  boy  of  about  eight  years 
old,  his  cheeks  and  large  blue  eyes  bright  with 
air  and  exercise,  and  his  long  light  brown  hair 
streaming  behind  him,  as  he  ran  forward  flour- 
ishing a  bow  in  his  hand,  and  crying  out,  "  I  hit 
him,  I  hit  him  !     Dame  Astrida,  do  you  hear  ? 


8  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

'Tis  a  stag  of  ten  branches,  and  I  hit  him  in  the 
neck." 

"  You  !  my  Lord  Eichard  !  you  killed  him  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  I  only  struck  him.  It  was  Osmond's 
shaft  that  took  him  in  the  eye,  and — Look  you, 
Fru  Astrida,  he  came  thus  through  the  wood, 
and  I  stood  here,  it  might  be,  under  the  great 
elm,  with  my  bow  thus" — And  Richard  was  be- 
ginning to  act  over  again  the  whole  scene  of  the 
deer-hunt,  but  Fru,  that  is  to  say,  Lady  Astrida, 
was  too  busy  to  listen,  and  broke  in  with,  "  Have 
they  brought  home  the  haunch  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Walter  is  bringing  it.  I  had  a  long 
arrow — " 

A  stout  forester  was  at  that  instant  seen 
bringing  in  the  venison,  and  Dame  Astrida  has- 
tened to  meet  it,  and  give  directions,  little  Eich- 
ard following  her  all  the  way,  and  talking  as 
eagerly  as  if  she  was  attending  to  him,  showing 
how  he  shot,  how  Osmond  shot,  how  the  deer 
bounded,  and  how  it  fell,  and  then  counting  the 
branches  of  its  antlers,  always  ending  with, 
"  This  is  something  to  tell  my  father.  Do 
you  think  he  will  come  soon  ?  " 

In  the  meantime  two  men  entered  the  hall, 
one  about  fifty,  the  other,  one  or  two-and  twenty, 
both  in  hunting  dresses  of  plain  leather,  crossed 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  9 

by  broad  embroidered  belts,  supporting  a  knife, 
and  a  bugle-horn.  The  elder  was  broad-shoul- 
dered, sun-burnt,  ruddy,  and  rather  stern-look- 
ing ;  the  younger,  who  was  also  the  taller,  was 
slightly  made,  and  very  active,  with  a  bright 
keen  grey  eye,  and  merry  smile.  These  were 
Dame  Astrida's  son,  Sir  Eric  de  Centeville,  and 
her  grandson,  Osmond  ;  and  to  their  care  Duke 
William  of  Normandy  had  committed  his  only 
child,  Kichard,  to  be  fostered,  or  brought  up.1 

It  was  always  the  custom  among  the  North- 
men, that  young  princes  should  thus  be  put 
under  the  care  of  some  trusty  vassal,  instead  of 
being  brought  up  at  home,  and  one  reason  why 
the  Centevilles  had  been  chosen  by  Duke  Wil- 
liam was,  that  both  Sir  Eric  and  his  mother 
spoke  only  the  old  Norwegian  tongue,  which  he 
wished  young  Richard  to  understand  well  ; 
whereas,  in  other  parts  of  the  duchy,  the  Nor- 
mans had  forgotten  their  own  tongue,  and  had 
taken  up  what  was  then  called  the  Langued'oui, 
a  language  between  German  and  Latin,  which 
was  the  beginning  of  French. 

On  this  day,  Duke  William,  himself  was  ex- 
pected at  Bayeaux,  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  son  before 
setting  out  on  a  journey  to  settle  the  disputes 
between  the  Counts  of  Flanders  and  Montreuil, 


10  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

and  this  was  the  reason  of  Fru  Astrida's  great 
preparations.  No  sooner  had  she  seen  the 
haunch  placed  upon  a  spit,  which  a  little  boy 
was  to  turn  before  the  fire,  than  she  turned  to 
dress  something  else,  namely,  the  young  Prince 
Richard  himself,  whom  she  led  off  to  one  of 
the  upper  rooms,  and  there  he  had  full  time  to 
talk,  while  she,  great  Lady  though  she  was, 
herself  combed  smooth  his  long  flowing  curls, 
and  fastened  his  short  scarlet  cloth  tunic,  which 
just  reached  to  his  knee,  leaving  his  neck,  arms, 
and  legs,  bare.  He  Pegged  hard  to  be  allowed 
to  wear  a  short,  beautifully  ornamented  dagger 
at  his  belt,  but  this,  Fru  Astrida  would  not 
allow. 

"  You  will  have  enough  to  do  with  steel  and 
dagger  before  your  life  is  at  an  end,"  said  she, 
"  without  seeking  to  begin  over  soon." 

"  To  be  sure  I  shall,"  answered  Richard. 
"  I  will  be  called  Richard  of  the  Sharp  Axe,  or 
the  Bold  Spirit,  I  promise  you,  Fru  Astrida. 
We  are  as  brave  in  these  days  as  the  Sigurds 
and  Ragnars  you  sing  of !  I  only  wish  there 
were  serpents  and  dragons  to  slay  here  in  Nor- 
mandy." 

"  Never  fear  but  you  will  find  even  too  many 
of  them,"  said  Dame  Astrida,  "  there  be  drag- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  11 

ons  of  wrong  here  and  everywhere,  quite  as  ven- 
omous as  any  in  my  Sagas."  ' 

"  I  fear  them  not/'  said  Richard,  but  half 
understanding  her,  "  If  you  would  only  let  me 
have  the  dagger  !  But,  Hark  !  hark  !  "  he  dart- 
ed to  the  window,  "  They  come,  they  come  ! 
There  is  the  banner  of  Normandy." 

Away  ran  the  happy  child,  and  never  rested 
till  he  stood  at  the  bottom  of  the  long,  steep, 
stone  stair,  leading  to  the  embattled  porch. 
Thither  came  the  Baron  de  Centeville,  and  his 
son,  to  receive  their  Prince.  Richard  looked  up  at 
Osmond,  saying,  "  Let  me  hold  his  stirrup/'  and 
then  sprang  up  and  shouted  for  joy,  as  under 
the  arched  gateway  there  came  a  tall  black 
horse,  bearing  the  stately  form  of  the  Duke  of 
Normandy.  His  purple  robe  was  fastened  round 
him  by  a  rich  belt,  sustaining  the  mighty  wea- 
pon, from  which  he  was  called  "  William  of  the* 
Long  Sword,"  his  legs  and  feet  were  cased  in 
linked  steel  chainwork,  his  gilded  spurs  were  on 
his  heels,  and  his  short  brown  hair  was  covered 
by  his  ducal  cap  of  purple,  turned  up  with  fur, 
and  a  feather  fastened  in  by  a  jewelled  clasp. 
His  brow  was  grave  and  thoughtful,  and  there 
was  something  both  of  dignity  and  sorrow  in  his 
face,  at  the  first  moment  of  looking  at  it,  re- 


12  THE    LITTLE   DUKE. 

calling  the  recollection  that  he  had  early  lost 
his  young  wife,  the  Duchess  Emma,  and  that  he 
was  beset  by  many  cares  and  toils  ;  but  the 
next  glance  generally  conveyed  encouragement, 
so  full  of  mildness  were  his  eyes,  and  so  kind 
the  expression  of  his  lips. 

And  now,  how  bright  a  smile  beamed  upon 
the  little  Richard,  who,  for  the  first  time,  paid 
him  the  duty  of  a  pupil  in  chivalry,  by  holding 
the  stirrup  while  he  sprung  from  his  horse. 
Next,  Richard  knelt  to  receive  his  blessing, 
which  was  always  the  custom  when  children  met 
their  parents.  The  Duke  laid  his  hand  on  his 
head,  saying,  "  God  of  His  mercy  bless  thee, 
my  son/'  and  lifting  him  in  his  arms,  held  him 
to  his  breast,  and  let  him  cling  to  his  neck  and 
kiss  him  again  and  again,  before  setting  him 
down,  while  Sir  Eric  came  forward,  bent  his 
#knee,  kissed  the  hand  of  his  Prince,  and  wel- 
comed him  to  his  castle. 

It  would  take  too  long  to  tell  all  the  friendly 
and  courteous  words  that  were  spoken,  the  greet- 
ing of  the  Duke  and  the  noble  old  Lady  Astrida, 
and  the  reception  of  the  Barons  who  had  come 
in  the  train  of  their  Lord.  Richard  was  bidden 
to  greet  them,  but,  though  he  held  out  his  hand 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  13 

as  desired,  he  shrank  a  little  to  his  father's  side, 
gazing  at  them  in  dread  and  shyness, 

There  was  Count  Bernard,  of  Harcourt, 
called  the  "  Dane," 2  with  his  shaggy  red  hair 
and  heard,  to  which  a  touch  of  grey  had  given 
a  strange  unnatural  tint,  his  eyes  looking  fierce 
and  wild  under  his  thick  eye-hrows,  one  of  them 
mis-shapen  in  consequence  of  a  sword  cut,  which 
had  left  a  hroad  red  and  purple  scar  across  both 
cheek  and  forehead.  There,  too,  came  tall  Ba- 
ron Eainulf,  of  Ferrieres,  cased  in  a  linked  steel 
hauberk,  that  rang  as  he  walked,  and  the  men- 
at-arms,  with  helmets  and  shields,  looking  as  if 
Sir  Eric's  armour  that  hung  in  the  hall,  had 
come  to  life  and  was  walking  about. 

They  sat  down  to  Fru  Astrida's  banquet, 
the  old  Lady  at  the  Duke's  right  hand,  and  the 
Couot  of  HarcOurt  on  his  left  ;  Osmond  carved 
for  the  Duke,  and  Bichard  handed  his  cup  and  m 
trencher.  All  through  the  meal,  the  Duke  and 
his  Lords  talked  earnestly  of  the  expedition  on 
which  they  were  bound  to  meet  Count  Arnulf 
of  Flanders,  on  a  little  islet  in  the  river  Somme, 
there  to  come  to  some  agreement,  by  which 
Arnulf  might  make  restitution  to  Count  Herluin 
of  Montreuil,  for  certain  wrongs  which  he  had 
done  him. 


14  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

Some  said  that  this  would  be  the  fittest  time 
for  requiring  Arnulf  to  yield  up  some  towns  on 
his  borders,  to  which  Normandy  had  long  laid 
claim,  but  the  Duke  shook  his  head,  saying  that 
he  must  seek  no  selfish  advantage,  when  called 
to  judge  between  others. 

Kichard  was  rather  tired  of  their  grave  talk, 
and  thought  the  supper  very  long,  but  at  last  it 
was  over,  the  Grace  was  said,  the  boards  which 
had  served  for  tables  were  removed,  and  as  it  was 
still  light,  some  of  the  guests  went  to  see  how 
their  steeds  had  been  bestowed,  others  to  look 
at  Sir  Eric's  horses  and  hounds,  and  others  col- 
lected together  in  groups. 

The  Duke  had  time  to  attend  to  his  little 
boy,  and  Richard  sat  upon  his  knee  and  talked, 
told  about  all  his  pleasures,  how  his  arrow  had 
hit  the  deer  to-day,  how  Sir  Eric  let  him  ride 
out  to  the  chase  on  his  little  pony,  how  Osmond 
would  take  him  to  bathe  in  the  cool  bright  river, 
and  how  he  had  watched  the  raven's  nest  in  the 
top  of  the  old  tower. 

Duke  William  listened,  and  smiled,  and 
seemed  as  well  pleased  to  hear  as  the  boy  was 
to  tell.  "  And  Kichard,"  said  he  at  last,  "  have 
you  nought  to  tell  me  of  Father  Lucas  and  his 
great  book  ?     What,  not  a  word  ?     Look  up, 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  15 

Richard,  and  tell  me  how  it  goes  with  the 
learning/' 3 

"  0,  father  I "  said  Richard,  in  a  low  voice, 
playing  with  the  clasp  of  his  father's  belt,  and 
looking  down,  "  I  don't  like  those  crabbed  let- 
ters on  the  old  yellow  parchment." 

"  But  you  try  to  learn  them,  I  hope  ?  "  said 
the  Duke. 

"  Yes,  father,  I  do,  but  they  are  very  hard, 
and  the  words  are  so  long,  and  Father  Lucas 
will  always  come  when  the  sun  is  so  bright,  and 
the  wood  so  green,  that  I  know  not  how  to  bear 
to  be  kept  poring  over  those  black  hooks  and 
strokes." 

"  Poor  little  fellow,"  said  Duke  William,  smil- 
ing, and  Richard,  rather  encouraged,  went  on 
more  boldly.  "You  do  not  know  this  reading, 
noble  father  ?  " 

"  To  my  sorrow,  no,"  said  the  Duke. 

"  And  Sir  Eric  cannot  read,  nor  Osmond, 
nor  any  one,  and  why  must  I  read,  and  cramp 
my  fingers  with  writing,  just  as  if  I  was  a  clerk 
instead  of  a  young  Duke."  Richard  looked  up 
in  his  father's  face,  and  then  hung  his  head,  as 
if  half  ashamed  of  questioning  his  will,  but  the 
Duke  answered  him  without  displeasure. 

"  It  is  hard,  no  doubt,  my  boy,  to  you  now, 


16  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

but  it  will  be  the  better  for  you  in  the  end.  I 
would  give  much  to  be  able  myself  to  read  those 
holy  books  which  I  must  now  only  hear  read  to  me 
by  a  clerk,  but  since  I  have  had  the  wish,  I  have 
had  no  time  to  learn  as  you  have  now." 

u  But  Knights  and  Nobles  never  learn/'  said 
Richard. 

"  And  do  you  think  it  a  reason  they  never 
should  ?  But  you  are  wrong,  my  boy,  for  the 
Kings  of  France  and  England,  the  Counts  of 
Anjou,  of  Provence,  and  Paris,  yes,  even  King 
Hako  of  Norway,4  can  all  read. 

"I  tell  you,  Richard,  when  the  treaty  was 
drawn  up  for  restoring  this  King  Louis  to  his 
throne,  I  was  ashamed  to  find  myself  one  of  the 
few  crowned  vassals  who  could  not  write  his 
name  thereto." 

"  But  none  is  so  wise  or  so  good  as  you, 
father,"  said  Richard,  proudly,  "  Sir  Eric  often 
says  so." 

"  Sir  Eric  loves  his  Duke  too  well  to  see  his 
faults."  said  Duke  William  ;  "  but  far  better 
and  wiser  might  I  have  been,  had  I  been  taught 
by  such  masters  as  you  may  be.  And  hark, 
Richard,  not  only  can  all  Princes  here  read, 
but  in  England,  King  Ethelstane  would  have 
every  noble  taught  ;  they  study  in  his  own  pal- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 


17 


ace,  with  his  brothers,  and  read  the  good  words 
that  King  Alfred  the  truth-teller,  put  into  their 
own  tongue  for  them." 

"  I  hate  the  English,"  said  Kichard,  raising 
his  head  and  looking  very  fierce. 

"  Hate  them  ?  and  wherefore  ?  " 

"  Because  they  traitorously  killed  the  brave 
Sea  King;  Ragnar !  Fru  Astrida  sings  his 
death-song,  which  he  chanted  when  the  vipers 
were  gnawing  him  to  death,  and  he  gloried  to 
think  how  his  son  would  bring  the  ravens  to 
feast  upon  the  Saxon.  Oh  !  had  I  been  his  son, 
how  would  I  have  carried  on  the  feud  !  How  I 
would  have  laughed  when  I  cut  down  the  false 
traitors,  and  burnt  their  palaces  ! "  Richard's 
eye  kindled,  and  his  words,  as  he  spoke  the  old 
Norse  language,  flowed  into  a  sort  of  wild  verse 
in  which  the  Sagas,  or  legendary  songs  were 
composed,  and  which,  perhaps,  he  was  uncon- 
sciously repeating. 

Duke  William  looked  grave. 

"  Fru  Astrida  must  sing  you  no  more  such 
Sagas,"  said  he,  "  if  they  fill  your  mind  with 
these  revengeful  thoughts,  fit  only  for  the  wor- 
shippers of  Odin  and  Thor.  Neither  Ragnar 
nor  his  sons  knew  better  than  to  rejoice  in  this 


18  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

deadly  vengeance,  but  we,  who  are  Christians, 
know  that  it  is  for  us  to  forgive." 

"  The  English  had  slain  their  father  !  "  said 
Kichard,  looking  up  with  wondering  dissatisfied 
eyes. 

"  Yes,  Kichard,  and  I  speak  not  against 
them,  for  they  were  even  as  we  should  have 
been,  had  not  King  Harold  the  fair-haired,  driv- 
en your  grandfather  from  Denmark.  They  had 
not  been  taught  the  truth,  but  to  us  it  has  been 
said,  c  Forgive,  and  ye  shall  be  forgiven/  Listen 
to  me,  my  son,  Christian  as  is  this  nation  of 
ours,  this  duty  of  forgiveness  is  too  often  neg- 
lected, but  let  it  not  be  so  with  you.  Bear  in 
mind,  whenever  you  see  the  Cross  5  marked  on 
our  banner,  or  carved  on  stone  on  the  Churches, 
that  it  speaks  of  forgiveness  to  us  ;  but  of  that 
pardon  we  shall  never  taste,  if  we  forgive  not 
our  enemies.     Do  you  mark  me,  boy  ?  " 

Richard  hesitated  a  little,  and  then  said, 
"  Yes,  father,  but  I  could  never  have  pardoned, 
had  I  been  one  of  Ragnar's  sons." 

"  It  may  be  that  you  will  be  in  their  case, 
Richard/'  said  the  Duke,  "  and  should  I  fall,  as 
it  may  well  be  I  shall,  in  some  of  the  contests 
that  tear  to  pieces  this  unhappy  Kingdom  of 
France,   then,  remember  what    I    say    now.     I 


THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 


charge  you  on  your  duty  to  God,  and  to  your 
father,  that  you  keep  up  no  feud,  no  hatred,  but 
rather  that  you  should  deem  me  best  revenged, 
when  you  have  with  your  heart  and  hand,  given 
the  fullest  proof  of  forgiveness  to  your  enemy. 
Give  me  your  word  that  you  will." 

"  Yes,  father,"  said  Richard,  with  rather  a 
subdued  tone,  and  resting  his  head  on  his  fath- 
er's shoulder.  There  was  silence  for  a  little 
space,  during  which  he  began  to  revive  into 
playfulness,  to  stroke  the  Duke's  short  curled 
beard,  and  play  with  his  embroidered  collar. 

In  so  doing,  his  fingers  caught  hold  of  a  sil- 
ver chain,  and  pulling  it  out  with  a  jerk,  he  saw 
a  silver  key  attached  to  it.  "  0,  what  is 
that  ?  "  he  asked  eagerly.  "  What  does  that 
key  unlock  ?  " 

"  My  greatest  treasure,"  replied  Duke  Wil- 
liam, as  he  replaced  the  chain  and  key  within 
his  robe. 

"  Your  greatest  treasure,  father  !  Is  that 
your  coronet  ?  " 

"  You  will  know  it  one  day,"  said  his  father, 
putting  the  little  hand  down  from  its  too  busy 
investigation  ;  and  some  of  the  barons  at  that 
moment  returning  into  the  hall,  he  had  no  more 
leisure  to  bestow  on  his  little  son. 


20  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

The  next  day,  after  morning  service  in  the 
Chapel,  and  breakfast  in  the  hall,  the  Duke 
again  set  forward  on  his  journey,  giving  Rich- 
ard hopes  that  he  might  return  in  a  fortnight's 
time,  and  obtaining  from  him  a  promise  that  he 
would  be  very  attentive  to  Father  Lucas,  and 
very  obedient  to  Sir  Eric  de  Centeville. 


i 


CHAPTER   II. 

One  evening  Fru  Astrida  sat  in  her  tall  chair 
in  the  chimney  corner,  her  distaff,  with  its  load 
of  flax  in  her  hand,  while  she  twisted  and  drew 
out  the  thread,  and  her  spindle  danced  on  the 
floor.  Opposite  to  her,  sat  sleeping  in  the  chair, 
Sir  Eric  de  Centeville  ;  Osmond  was  on  a  low 
bench  within  the  chimney  corner,  trimming  and 
shaping  with  his  knife  some  feathers  of  the  wild 
goose,  which  were  to  fly  in  a  different  fashion 
from  their  former  one,  and  serve,  not  to  wing 
the  flight  of  a  harmless  goose,  but  of  a  sharp 
arrow. 

The  men  of  the  household  sat  ranged  on 
benches  on  one  side  of  the  hall,  the  women  on 
the  other  ;  a  great  red  fire,  together  with  an 
immense  flickering  lamp  which  hung  from  the 
ceiling,  supplied  the  light  ;  the  windows  were 
closed  with  wooden  shutters,  and  the  whole 
apartment  had  a  cheerful  appearance.     Two  01 


22 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 


three  large  hounds  were  reposing  in  front  of  the 
hearth,  and  among  them  sat  little  Kichard  of 
Normandy,  now  smoothing  down  their  broad 
silken  ears  ;  now  tickling  the  large  cushions  of 
their  feet  with  the  end  of  one  of  Osmond's  feath- 
ers ;  now  fairly  pulling  open  the  eyes  of  one  of 
the  good-natured  sleepy  creatures,  which  only 
stretched  its  legs,  and  remonstrated  with  a  sort 
of  low  groan,  rather  than  a  growl.  The  boy's 
eyes  were,  all  the  time,  intently  fixed  on  Dame 
Astrida,  as  if  he  would  not  lose  one  word  of  the 
story  she  was  telling  him  ;  how  Earl  Eollo,  his 
grandfather,  had  sailed  into  the  mouth  of  the 
Seine,  and  how  Archbishop  Franco  of  Eouen, 
had  come  to  meet  him,  and  brought  him  the 
keys  of  the  town,  and  how  not  one  Neustrian 
of  Eouen  had  met  with  harm  from  the  brave 
Northmen.  Then  she  told  him  his  grandfather's 
baptism,  and  how  during  the  seven  days  that 
he  wore  his  white  baptismal  robes,  he  had  made 
large  gifts  to  all  the  chief  churches  in  his 
dukedom  of  Normandy. 

"  0,  but  tell  of  the  paying  homage  !  "  said 
Eichard  ;  "  and  how  Sigurd  Bloodaxe  threw 
down  simple  King  Charles  !  Ah  !  how  would 
I  have  laughed  to  see  it  !  " 

"  Nay,    nay,    Lord  Eichard,"  said   the   old 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 


23 


lady,  "  I  love  not  that  tale.  That  was  ere  the 
Norman  learnt  courtesy,  and  rudeness  ought  ra- 
ther to  be  forgotten  than  remembered,  save  for 
the  sake  of  amending  it.  No,  I  will  rather  tell 
you  of  our  coming  to  Centeville,  and  how  dreary 
I  thought  these  smooth  meads,  and  broad  soft 
gliding  streams,  compared  with  mine  own  father's 
fiord  in  Norway,  shut  in  with  the  tall  black 
rocks,  and  the  dark  pines  above  them,  and  far 
away  the  snowy  mountains  rising  into  the  sky. 
Ah  !  how  blue  the  waters  were  in  the  long 
summer  days,  when  I  sat  in  my  father's  boat  in 
the  little  fiord,  and — " 

Dame  Astrida  was  interrupted.  A  bugle 
note  rang  out  at  the  castle  gate ;  the  dogs 
started  to  their  feet,  and  uttered  a  sudden  deaf- 
ening bark  ;  Osmond  sprung  up,  exclaiming, 
"  Hark  !  "  and  trying  to  silence  the  hounds  ; 
and  Eichard,  running  to  Sir  Eric,  cried,  "  Wake, 
wake,  Sir  Eric,  my  father  is  come.  0  haste  to 
open  the  gates  and  admit  him  !  " 

"  Peace,  dogs  !  "  said  Sir  Eric,  slowly  rising, 
as  the  blast  £>f  the  horn  was  repeated.  "  Go, 
Osmond,  with  the  porter,  and  see  whether  he 
who  comes  at  such  an  hour  be  friend  or  foe. 
Stay  you  here,  my  Lord,"  he  added,  as  Eichard 
was  running  after  Osmond,  and  the  little  boy 


24  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

obeyed,    and    stood  still,  though  quivering    all 
over  with  impatience. 

"  Tidings  from  the  Duke,  I  should  guess," 
said  Fru  Astrida.  "  It  can  scarce  be  himself 
at  such  an  hour." 

"  0,  it  must  be,  dear  Fru  Astrida  !  "  said 
Kichard.  "  He  said  he  would  come  again. 
Hark,  there  are  horses'  feet  in  the  court  !  I  am 
sure  that  is  his  black  charger's  tread  !  And  I 
shall  not  be  there  to  hold  his  stirrup  !  Oh  ! 
Sir  Eric,  let  me  go." 

Sir  Eric,  always  a  man  of  few  words,  only 
shook  his  head,  and  at  that  moment,  steps 
were  heard  on  the  stone  stairs.  Again  Eichard 
was  about  to  spring  forward,  when  Osmond 
returned,  his  face  showing,  at  a  glance,  that 
something  was  amiss  ;  but  all  that  he  said  was, 
"  Count  Bernard  of  Harcourt,  and  Sir  Rainulf 
de  Ferrieres,"  and  he  stood  aside  to  let  them 
pass. 

Richard  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  the  hall, 
disappointed.  Without  greeting  to  Sir  Eric,  or 
to  any  within  the  hall,  the  Count  of  Harcourt 
came  forward  to  Richard,  bent  his  knee  before 
him,  took  his  hand,  and  said  in  a  broken  voice 
and  heaving  breast,  "  Richard,  Duke  of  Nor- 
mandy, I  am  thy    liegeman  and  true  vassal; " 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  25 

then,  rising  from  his  knees  while  Kainulf  de 
Ferrieres  went  through  the  same  form,  the  old 
man  covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  and  wept 
aloud. 

"  Is  it  even  so  ?  "■  said  the  Baron  de  Cente- 
ville,  and  being  answered  by  a  mournful  look 
and  sign  from  Ferrieres,  he,  too,  bent  before  the 
boy,  and  repeated  the  words,  "  I  am  thy  liege- 
man and  true  vassal,  and  swear  fealty  to  thee 
for  my  castle  and  barony  of  Centeville." 

"  0  no,  no  ! ;;  cried  Kichard,  drawing  back 
his  hand  in  a  sort  of  agony;  feeling  as  if  he  was 
in  a  frightful  dream  from  which  he  could  not 
awake.  "  What  means  it  ?  Oh  !  Fru  Astrida, 
tell  me  what  it  means  ?     Where  is  my  father  ?  " 

"  Alas  !  my  child  ! "  said  the  old  lady, 
putting  her  arm  round  him,  and  drawing  him 
close  to  her,  whilst  her  tears  flowed  fast,  and 
Richard  stood,  reassured  by  her  embrace,  listen- 
ing with  eyes  opened  wide,  and  deep  oppressed 
breathing,  to  what  was  passing  between  the 
four  nobles,  who  spoke  earnestly  among  them- 
selves, without  much  heed  of  him. 

"  The  Duke  dead  !  V  repeated  Sir  Eric  de 
Centeville,  like  one  stunned  and  stupified. 

"  Even  so/'  said  Rainulf,  slowly  and  sadly, 


2 


26  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

and  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  the  long- 
drawn  sobs  of  old  Count  Bernard. 

"But  how  !  when  ?  where  ?  "  broke  forth 
Sir  Eric,  presently.  "  There  was  no  note  of 
battle  when  yon  went  forth.  0;  why  was  not  I 
at  his  side  ?  " 

"  He  fell  not  in  battle/'  gloomily  replied  Sir 
Kainulf. 

"  Ha  !  conld  sickness  cut  him  down  so 
quickly  ?  " 

"  It  was  not  sickness/'  answered  Ferrieres. 
"It  was  treachery.  He  fell  in  the  isle  of 
Pecquigny,  by  the  hand  of  the  false  Fleming  !  " 

"  Lives  the  traitor  yet  ?  "  cried  the  Baron 
de  Centeville,  grasping  his  good  sword. 

"  He  lives  and  rejoices  in  his  crime,"  said 
Ferrieres,  "  safe  in  his  own  merchant  towns." 

"  I  can  scarce  credit  you,  my  Lords  !  "  said 
Sir  Eric.  "  Our  Duke  slain,  and  his  enemv  safe, 
and  you  here  to  tell  the  tale  !  " 

"  I  would  I  were  stark  and  stiff  by  my 
Lord's  side!"  said  Count  Bernard,  "but  for 
the  sake  of  Normandy,  and  of  that  poor  child, 
who  is  like  to  need  all  that  ever  were  friends  to 
his  house.  I  would  that  mine  eyes  had  been 
blinded  for  ever,  ere  they  had  seen  that  sight  ! 
And  not  a    sword   lifted  in  his  defence  !     Tell 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  27 

you  how  it  passed,  Kainulf !     My  tongue  will 
not  speak  it." 

He  threw  himself  on  a  bench  and  covered 
his  face  with  his  mantle,  while  Kainulf  de 
Ferrieres  proceeded  ;  "  You  know  how  in  an 
evil  hour  our  good  Duke  appointed  to  meet 
this  caitiff  Count  of  Flanders  in  the  isle  of 
Pecquigny,  the  Duke  and  Count  each  bringing 
twelve  men  with  them,  all  unarmed.  Duke 
Alan  of  Brittany  was  one  on  our  side,  Count 
Bernard  here  another,  old  Count  Bothon  and 
myself ;  we  bore  no  weapon — would  that  we 
had — but  not  so  the  false  Flemings.  Ah  me  ! 
I  shall  never  forget  Duke  William's  lordly  pres- 
ence when  he  stepped  ashore,  and  doffed  his 
bonnet  to  the  knave  Arnulf." 

"  Yes/'  interposed  Bernard.  "  And  marked 
you  not  the  words  of  the  traitor,  as  they  met  ? 
1  My  Lord,'  quoth  he,  '  you  are  my  shield  and 
defence/  Would  that  I  could  cleave  his  trea- 
son-hatching skull  with  my  battle-axe." 

"  So,"  continued  Rainulf,  "  they  conferred 
together,  and  as  words  cost  nothing  to  Arnulf, 
he  not  only  promised  all  restitution  to  the  pal- 
try Montreuil,  but  even  was  for  offering  to  pay 
homage  to  our  Duke  for  Flanders  itself;  but 
this  oar    William    refused,  saying  it  were  foul 


28  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

wrong  to  both  King  Louis  of  France,  and  Kai- 
ser Otlio  of  Germany,  to  take  from  them  their 
vassal.     They  took  leave  of  each  other   in  all 
courtesy,  and  we  embarked  again.     It  was  Duke 
William's  pleasure  to  go  alone  in  a  small  boat, 
while  we  twelve  were  together  in  another.     Just 
as  we  had  nearly  reached  our  own  bank,  there 
was  a  shout  from  the  Flemings  that  their  Count 
had  somewhat  further  to  say  to  the  Duke,  and 
forbidding  us  to  follow  him,  the  Duke  turned 
his  boat  and  went  back  again.     No  sooner  had 
he  set  foot  on  the  isle,"  proceeded  the  Norman, 
clenching  his  hands,  and  speaking  between  his 
teeth,  "  than  we  saw  one  Fleming  strike  him  on 
the  head  with  an  oar  ;  he  fell  senseless,  the  rest 
threw  themselves  upon  him,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment held  up  their  bloody  daggers  in  scorn  at 
us  !     You  may  well  think  how  we  shouted  and 
yelled   at    them,  and  plyed  our  oars  like  men 
distracted,  but  all  in  vain  ;  they  were  already 
in  their  boats,  and  ere  we  could  reach  the  isle, 
they  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  mounted 
their  horses,  fled  with  coward  speed,  and  were 
out  of  reach  of  a  Norman's  vengeance." 

"  But  they  shall  not  be  so  long  !  "  cried 
Richard,  starting  forward  ;  for,  to  his  childish 
fancy,  this  dreadful  history  was  more  like  one 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  29 

of  Dame  Astrida's  legends  than  a  reality,  and 
at  the  moment  his  thought  was  only  of  the 
blackness  of  the  treason.  "  0  that  I  were  a 
man  to  chastise  them  !  One  day  they  shall 
feel—" 

He  broke  off  shorfc,  for  he  remembered  how 
his  father  had  forbidden  his  denunciations  of 
vengeance,  but  his  words  were  eagerly  caught 
up  by  the  barons,  who,  as  Duke  William  had 
said,  were  far  from  possessing  any  temper  of  for- 
giveness, thought  revenge  a  duty,  and  were  only 
glad  to  see  a  warlike  spirit  in  their  new  Prince. 

"  Ha  !  say  you  so,  my  young  Lord  ?  "  ex- 
claimed old  Count  Bernard,  rising.  "  Yes,  and 
I  see  a  sparkle  in  your  eye  that  tells  me  you 
will  one  day  avenge  him  nobly  !  " 

Richard  drew  up  his  head,  and  his  heart 
throbbed  high  as  Sir  Eric  made  answer,  "  Aye, 
truly,  that  will  he  !  You  might  search  Nor- 
mandy through,  yea,  and  Norway  likewise,  ere 
you  would  find  a  temper  more  bold  and  free. 
Trust  my  word,  Count  Bernard,  our  young 
Duke  will  be  famed  as  widely  as  ever  were  his 
forefathers  !  " 

"  I  believe  it  well  !  "  said  Bernard.  "  He 
hath  the  port  of  his  grandfather,  Duke  Rollo, 
and  much,  too,  of  his  noble  father  !     How  say 


30  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

you,  Lord  Bichard,  will  you  be  a  valiant  leader 
of  the  Norman  race  against  our  foes  ?  " 

"  That  I  will ! "  said  Bichard,  carried  away 
by  the  applause  excited  by  those  few  words 
of  his.  "  I  will  ride  at  your  head  this  very 
night,  if  you  will  but  go  to  chastise  the  false 
Flemings." 

"  You  shall  ride  with  us  to-morrow,  my 
Lord,"  answered  Bernard,  "  but  it  must  be  to 
Bouen,  there  to  be  invested  with  your  ducal 
sword  and  mantle,  and  to  receive  the  homage  of 
your  vassals." 

Bichard  dropped  his  head  without  replying, 
for  this  seemed  to  bring  to  him  the  perception 
that  his  father  was  really  gone,  and  that  he 
should  never  see  him  again.  He  thought  of  all 
his  projects  for  the  day  of  his  return,  how  he 
had  almost  counted  the  hours,  and  had  looked 
forward  to  telling  him  that  Father  Lucas  was 
well  pleased  with  him  !  And  now  he  should 
never  nestle  in  his  breast  again,  never  hear  his 
voice,  never  see  those  kind  eyes  beam  upon  him. 
Large  tears  gathered  in  his  eyes,  and  ashamed 
that  they  should  be  seen,  he  sat  down  on  a  foot- 
stool at  Fru  Astrida's  feet,  leant  his  forehead 
on  his  hands,  and  thought  over  all  that  his 
father  had  done  and  said  the  last  time  they  were 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  31 

together.  He  fancied  the  return  that  had  been 
promised,  going  over  the  meeting  and  the 
greeting,  till  he  had  almost  persuaded  himself 
that  this  dreadful  story  was  but  a  dream.  But 
when  he  looked  up,  there  were  the  Barons,  with 
their  grave  mournful  faces,  speaking  of  the 
corpse,  which  Duke  Alan  of  Brittany  was  escort- 
ing to  Kouen,  there  to  be  buried  beside  the  old 
Duke  Eollo,  and  the  Duchess  Emma,  Bichard's 
mother.  Then  he  lost  himself  in  wonder  how 
that  stiff  bleeding  body  could  be  the  same  as 
the  father  whose  arm  was  so  lately  round  him^ 
and  whether  his  father's  spirit  knew  how  he  was 
thinking  of  him  ;  and  in  these  dreamy  thoughts, 
the  young  orphan  Duke  of  Normandy,  forgotten 
by  his  vassals  in  their  grave  councils,  fell  asleep, 
and  scarce  wakened  enough  to  attend  to  his 
prayers,  when  Fru  Astrida  at  length  remem- 
bered him,  and  led  him  away  to  bed. 

When  Eichard  awoke  the  next  morning,  he 
could  hardly  believe  that  all  that  had  passed  in 
the  evening  was  true,  but  he  soon  found  that  it 
was  but  too  real,  and  all  was  prepared  for  him 
to  go  to  Kouen  with  the  vassals ;  indeed,  it  was 
for  no  other  purpose  than  to  fetch  him,  that  the 
Count  of  Harcourt  had  come  to  Bayeux.  Fru 
Astrida  was  quite  unhappy  that  "  the  child,"  as 


32  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

she  called  him,  should  go  alone  with  the  war- 
riors ;  but  Sir  Eric  laughed  at  her,  and  said 
that  it  would  never  do  for  the  Duke  of  Nor- 
mandy to  bring  his  nurse  with  him  in  his  first 
entry  into  Rouen,  and  she  must  be  content  to 
follow  at  some  space  behind,  under  the  escort  of 
Walter,  the  huntsman. 

So  she  took  leave  of  Eichard,  charging  both 
Sir  Eric  and  Osmond  to  have  the  utmost  care  to 
him,  and  shedding  tears  as  if  the  parting  was  to 
be  for  a  much  longer  space  ;  he  then  bade  fare- 
well to  the  servants  of  the  castle,  received  the 
blessing  of  Father  Lucas,  and  mounting  his 
pony,  rode  off  between  Sir  Eric  and  Count 
Bernard.  Eichard  was  but  a  little  boy,  and  he 
did  not  think  so  much  of  his  loss,  as  he  rode 
along  in  the  free  morning  air,  feeling  himself  a 
Prince  at  the  head  of  his  vassals,  his  banner  dis- 
played before  him,  and  the  people  coming  out 
wherever  he  passed  to  gaze  on  him,  and  call 
for  blessings  on  his  name.  Eainulf  de  Ferrieres 
carried  a  large  heavy  purse  filled  with  silver  and 
gold,  and  whenever  they  came  to  these  gazing 
crowds,  Eichard  was  well  pleased  to  thrust  his 
hand  deep  into  it,  and  scatter  handfuls  of  coins 
among  the  gazers,  especially  where  he  saw  little 
children. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  33 

They  stopped  to  dine  and  rest  in  the  middle 
of  the  day,  at  the  castle  of  a  Baron,  who,  as 
soon  as  the  meal  was  over,  mounted  his  horse, 
and  joined  them  in  their  ride  to  Rouen.  So  far 
it  had  not  been  very  different  from  Richard's 
last  journey,  when  he  went  to  keep  Christmas 
there  with  his  father  ;  but  now  they  were  be- 
o-innino;  to  come  nearer  the  town,  he  knew  the 
broad  river  Seine  again,  and  saw  the  square 
tower  of  the  Cathedral,  and  he  remembered  how 
at  that  very  place  his  father  had  met  him,  and 
how  he  had  ridden  by  his  side  into  the  town, 
and  had  been  led  by  his  hand  up  to  the  hall. 

His  heart  was  very  heavy,  as  he  recollected 
there  was  no  one  now  to  meet  and  welcome 
him  ;  scarcely  any  one  to  whom  he  could  even 
tell  his  thoughts,  for  those  tall  grave  Barons  had 
nothing  to  say  to  such  a  little  boy,  and  the  very 
respect  and  formality  with  which  they  treated 
him  made  him  shrink  from  them  still  more, 
especially  from  the  grim-faced  Bernard  ;  and 
Osmond,  his  own  friend  and  playfellow,  was 
obliged  to  ride  far  behind,  as  inferior  in  rank. 

They  entered  the  town  just  as  it  was  grow- 
ing dark.  Count  Bernard  looked  back  and  ar- 
rayed the  procession  ;  Eric  de  Centeville  bade 
Richard  sit  upright  and  not  look  weary,  and 
*2 


34  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

then  all  the  Knights  held  back  while  the  little 
Duke  rode  alone  a  little  in  advance  of  them 
through  the  gateway.  There  was  a  loud  shout 
of  "  Long  live  the  little  Duke  !  "  and  crowds  of 
people  were  standing  round  to  gaze  upon  his 
entry,  so  many,  that  the  bag  of  coins  was  soon 
emptied  by  his  largesses.  The  whole  city  was 
like  one  great  castle,  shut  in  by  a  wall  and  moat, 
and  with  Rollo's  Tower  rising  at  one  end  like 
the  keep  of  a  castle,  and  it  was  thither  that 
Richard  was  turning  his  horse,  when  the  Count 
of  Harcourt  said,  "  Nay,  my  Lord,  to  the  Church 
of  our  Lady/' 7 

It  was  then  considered  a  duty  to  be  paid  to 
the  deceased,  that  their  relatives  and  friends 
should  visit  them  as  they  lay  in  state,  and 
sprinkle  them  with  drops  of  holy  water,  and 
Richard  was  now  to  pay  this  token  of  respect. 
He  trembled  a  little,  and  yet  it  did  not  seem 
quite  so  dreary,  since  he  should  once  more  look 
on  his  father's  face,  and  he  accordingly  rode  to- 
wards the  Cathedral.  It  was  then  very  unlike 
what  it  is  now  ;  the  walls  were  very  thick,  the 
windows  small  and  almost  buried  in  heavy 
carved  arches ;  the  columns  within  were  low, 
clumsy,  and  circular,  and  it  was  usually  so  dark 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  35 

that  the  vaulting  of  the  roof  could  scarcely  be 
seen. 

Now,  however,  a  whole  flood  of  light  poured 
forth  from  every  window,  and  when  Richard 
came,  to  the  door,  he  saw  not  only  the  two  tall, 
thick  candles  that  always  burnt  on  each  side  of 
the  Altar,  but  in  the  Chancel  stood  a  double  row 
ranged  in  a  square,  shedding  a  pure  quiet  bril- 
liancy throughout  the  building,  and  chiefly  on 
the  silver  and  gold  ornaments  of  the  Altar. 
Outside  these  lights,  knelt  a  rank  of  priests  in 
dark  garments,  their  heads  bowed  over  their 
clasped  hands,  and  their  chanted  psalms  sound- 
ing sweet,  and  full  of  soothing  music.  Within 
that  guarded  space  was  a  bier,  and  a  form  lay 
on  it. 

Eichard  trembled  still  more  with  awe,  and 
would  have  paused,  but  he  was  obliged  to  pro- 
ceed. He  dipped  his  hand  in  the  water  of  the 
font,  crossed  his  brow,  and  came  slowly  on, 
sprinkled  the  remaining  drops  on  the  lifeless 
figure,  and  then  stood  still.  There  was  an  op- 
pression on  his  breast,  as  if  he  could  neither 
breathe  nor  move. 

There  lay  William  of  the  Long  Sword,  like 
a  good  and  true  Christian  warrior,  arrayed  in  his 
shining  armour,  his  sword  by  his  side,  his  shield 


36  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

on  his  arm,  and  a  cross  between  his  hands, 
clasped  upon  his  breast.  His  ducal  mantle  of 
crimson  velvet,  lined  with  ermine,  was  round 
his  shoulders,  and  instead  of  a  helmet,  his  cor- 
onet was  on  his  head  ;  but  in  contrast  with  this 
rich  array,  over  the  collar  of  the  hauberk,  was 
folded  the  edge  of  a  rough  hair  shirt,  which  the 
Duke  had  worn  beneath  his  robes,  unknown  to 
all,  until  his  corpse  was  disrobed  of  his  blood- 
stained garments.  His  face  looked  full  of  calm 
solemn  peace,  as  if  he  had  gently  fallen  asleep, 
and  was  only  awaiting  the  great  call  to  awaken. 
There  was  not  a  single  token  of  violence  visible 
about  him,  save  that  one  side  of  his  forehead 
bore  a  deep  purple  mark,  where  he  had  first 
been  struck  by  the  blow  of  the  oar  which  de- 
prived him  of  sense. 

"  See  you  that,  my  Lord  ?  "  said  Count  Ber- 
nard, first  breaking  the  silence,  in  a  low,  deep, 
stern  voice. 

Kichard  had  heard  little  for  many  hours  past 
save  counsels  against  the  Flemings,  and  plans 
of  bitter  enmity  against  them ;  and  the  sight  of 
his  murdered  father,  with  that  look  and  tone  of 
the  old  Dane,  fired  his  spirit,  and  breaking  from 
his  trance  of  silent  awe  and  grief,  he  exclaimed, 
"  I  see  it,  and  dearly  shall  the  traitor  Fleming 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  37 

abye  it  !  "  Then,  encouraged  by  the  applaud- 
ing looks  of  the  nobles,  he  proceeded,  feeling 
like  one  of  the  young  champions  of  Fru  As- 
trida's  songs.  His  cheek  was  coloured,  his  eye 
lighted  up,  and  he  lifted  his  head  so  that  the 
hair  fell  back  from  his  forehead,  he  laid  his  hand 
on  the  hilt  of  his  father's  sword,  and  spoke  on 
in  words,  perhaps,  suggested  by  some  saga. 
"  Yes,  Arnulf  of  Flanders,  know  that  Duke 
William  of  Normandy  shall  not  rest  unavenged ! 
On  this  good  sword  I  vow  that  soon  as  my  arm 
shall  have  strength — " 

The  rest  was  left  unspoken,  for  a  hand  was 
laid  on  his  arm.  A  priest,  who  had  hitherto 
been  kneeling  near  the  head  of  the  corpse,  had 
risen,  and  stood  tall  and  dark  over  him,  and 
looking  up,  he  recognised  the  pale  grave  coun- 
tenance of  Martin,  Abbot  of  Jumieges,  his 
father's  chief  friend  and  councillor. 

"  Eichard  of  Normandy,  what  sayest  thou  ?  " 
said  he,  sternly.  "  Yes,  hang  thy  head,  and 
reply  not,  rather  than  repeat  those  words.  Dost 
thou  come  here  to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  dead 
with  clamours  for  vengeance  ?  Dost  thou  vow 
strife  and  anger  on  that  sword  which  was  never 
drawn  save  in  the  cause  of  the  poor  and  dis- 
tressed ?     Wouldst    thou   rob    Him    to    whose 


38  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

service  thy  life  has  been  pledged,  and  devote 
thyself  to  that  of  His  foe  ?  Is  this  what  thou 
hast  learnt  from  thy  blessed  father  ?  " 

Eichard  made  no  answer,  but  he  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands  to  hide  the  tears  which  were 
fast  streaming. 

"  Lord  Abbot,  Lord  Abbot,  this  passes  !  " 
exclaimed  Bernard  the  Dane.  u  Our  young 
Lord  is  no  monk,  and  we  will  not  see  each  spark 
of  noble  and  knightly  spirit  quenched  as  soon 
as  it  shows  itself." 

"  Count  of  Harcourt,"  said  Abbot  Martin, 
"  are  these  the  words  of  a  savage  Pagan,  or  of 
one  who  has  been  washed  in  yonder  blessed  font  ? 
Never  while  I  have  power,  shalt  thou  darken  the 
child's  soul  with  thy  foul  thirst  of  revenge,  insult 
the  presence  of  thy  master  with  the  crime  he 
so  abhorred,  nor  the  temple  of  Him  who  came  to 
pardon,  with  thy  hatred.  Well  do  I  know,  ye 
Barons  of  Normandy,  that  each  drop  of  your 
blood  would  willingly  be  given,  could  it  bring 
back  our  departed  Duke,  or  guard  his  orphan 
child  ;  but  if  ye  have  loved  the  father,  do  his 
bidding,  lay  aside  that  accursed  spirit  of  hatred 
and  vengeance  ;  if  ye  love  the  child,  seek  not  to 
injure  his  soul  more  deeply  than  even  his  bit- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  39 

»  • 

terest  foe,  were  it  Arnulf  himself,  hath  power  to 
hurt  him." 

The  Barons  were  silenced  whatever  their 
thoughts  might  be,  and  Abbot  Martin  turned  to 
Richard,  whose  tears  were  still  dropping  fast 
through  his  fingers,  as  the  thought  of  those  last 
words  of  his  father  returned  more  clearly  upon 
him.  The  Abbot  laid  his  hand  on  his  head, 
and  spoke  gently  to  him.  "  These  are  tears  of 
a  softened  heart,  I  trust,"  said  he.  "  I  well  be- 
lieve that  thou  didst  scarce  know  what  thou 
wert  saying." 

"  Forgive  me  ! "  said  Richard,  as  well  as  he 
could  speak. 

"  See  there,"  said  the  priest,  pointing  to  the 
large  Cross  over  the  Altar,  "  thou  knowest  the 
meaning  of  that  sacred  sign  ?  " 

Richard  bowed  his  head  in  assent  and  rev- 
erence. 

"It  speaks  of  forgiveness,"  continued  the 
Abbot.  "And  knowest  thou  who  gave  that 
pardon  ?  The  Son  forgave  His  murderers  ;  the 
Father  them  who  slew  His  Son.  And  shalt 
thou  call  for  vengeance  ?  " 

"  But  oh  !  "  said  Richard,  looking  up,  "  must 
that  cruel  murderous   traitor   glory  unpunished 


40  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

in  his  crime,  while  there  lies — "  and  again  his 
voice  was  cut  off  by  tears. 

"  Vengeance  shall  surely  overtake  the  sin- 
ner/' said  Martin,  u  the  vengeance  of  the  Lord, 
and  in  His  own  good  time,  but  it  must  not  be 
of  thy  seeking.  Nay,  Kichard,  thou  art  of  all 
men  the  most  bound  to  show  love  and  mercy  to 
Aruulf  of  Flanders.  Yes,  when  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  hath  touched  him,  and  bowed  him 
down  in  punishment  for  his  crime,  it  is  then 
that  thou,  whom  he  hath  most  deeply  injured, 
shouldst  stretch  out  thine  hand  to  aid  him,  and 
receive  him  with  pardon  and  peace.  If  thou 
dost  vow  aught  on  the  sword  of  thy  blessed 
father,  in  the  sanctuary  of  thy  Kedeemer,  let  it 
be  a  Christian  vow." 

Kichard  wept  too  bitterly  to  speak,  and  Ber- 
nard cle  Harcourt,  taking  his  hand,  led  him  away 
from  the  Church. 


CHAPTEK  III. 

Duke  William  of  the  Long  Sword  was 
buried  the  next  morning  in  high  pomp  and  state, 
with  many  a  prayer  and  psalm  chanted  over  his 
grave. 

When  this  was  over,  little  Kichard,  who  had 
all  the  time  stood  or  knelt  nearest  the  corpse,  in 
one  dull  heavy  dream  of  heavy  wonder  and  sor- 
row, was  led  back  to  the  palace,  and  there  his 
long  heavy  black  garments  were  taken  off,  and 
he  was  dressed  in  his  short  scarlet  tunic,  his 
hair  was  carefully  arranged,  and  then  he  came 
down  again  into  the  hall,  where  there  was  a 
great  assembly  of  Barons,  some  in  armour,  some 
in  long  furred  gowns,  who  had  all  been  attend- 
ing his  father's  burial.  Kichard,  as  he  was  de- 
sired by  Sir  Eric  de  Centeville,  took  off  his  cap, 
and  bowed  low  in  reply  to  the  reverences  with 
which  they  all  greeted  his  entrance,  and  he  then 


42  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

slowly  crossed  the  hall,  and  descended  the  steps 
from  the  door,  while  they  formed  into  a  pro- 
cession behind  him,  according  to  their  ranks — 
the  Duke  of  Brittany  first,  and  then  all  the  rest, 
down  to  the  poorest  Knight  who  held  his  manor 
immediately  from  the  Duke  of  Normandy. 

Thus  they  proceeded,  in  slow  and  solemn 
order,  till  they  came  to  the  Church  of  our  Lady. 
The  clergy  were  there  already,  ranged  in  ranks 
on  each  side  of  the  choir  ;  and  the  Bishops  in 
their  mitres,  and  rich  robes,  each  with  his  pas- 
toral staff  in  his  hand,  were  standing  round  the 
Altar.  As  the  little  Duke  entered,  there  arose 
from  all  the  voices  in  the  Chancel  the  full  loud 
clear  chant  of  Te  Deum  Laudamus,  echoing 
among  the  dark  vaults  of  the  roof.  To  that 
sound  Kichard  walked  up  the  choir,  to  a  large, 
heavy,  cross-legged  carved  chair,  raised  on  two 
steps,  just  before  the  steps  of  the  Altar  began, 
and  there  he  stood,  Bernard  de  Harcourt  and 
Eric  de  Centeville  on  each  side  of  him,  and  all 
his  other  vassals  in  due  order  in  the  choir. 

After  the  beautiful  chant  of  the  hymn  was 
ended,  the  service  for  the  Holy  Communion 
began.  When  the  time  came  for  the  offeriDg, 
each  noble  gave  gold  or  silver  ;  and,  lastly, 
Rainulf  of  Ferrieres,  came  up  to  the  step  of  the 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  43 

Altar  with  a  cushion,  on  which  was  placed  a 
circlet  of  gold,  the  Ducal  coronet ;  and  another 
Baron,  following  him  closely,  carried  a  long 
heavy  sword,  with  a  cross  handle.  The  Arch- 
bishop of  Rouen  received  both  coronet  and 
sword,  and  laid  them  on  the  Altar.  Then  the 
service  proceeded.  At  that  time  the  rite  of 
Confirmation  was  administered  in  infancy,  and 
Richard,  who  had  been  confirmed  by  his  god- 
father, the  Archbishop  of  Rouen,  immediately 
after  his  baptism,  knelt  in  solemn  awe  to  receive 
the  other  Holy  Sacrament  from  his  hands,  as 
soon  as  all  the  Clergy  had  communicated.8 

When  the  administration  was  over,  Richard 
was  led  forward  to  the  step  of  the  Altar  by 
Count  Bernard  and  Sir  Eric,  and  the  Arch- 
bishop, laying  one  hand  upon  both  his,  as  he 
held  them  clasped  together,  demanded  of  him 
in  the  name  of  God  and  of  the  people  of  Nor- 
mandy, whether  he  would  be  their  good  and 
true  ruler,  guard  them  from  their  foes,  maintain 
truth,  punish  iniquity,  and  protect  the  Church. 

"  I  will !  "  answered  Richard's  young  trem- 
bling voice,  "  So  help  me  God  !  "  and  he  knelt 
and  kissed  the  book  of  the  Holy  Gospels,  which 
the  Archbishop  offered  him. 

It  was   a   great    and    awful   oath,    and   he 


44  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

dreaded  to  think  that  he  had  taken  it.  He 
still  knelt,  put  both  hands  over  his  face,  and 
whispered,  "  0  God,  my  Father,  help  me  to 
keep  it." 

The  Archbishop  waited  till  he  rose,  and 
then,  turning  his  face  to  the  people,  said, 
"  Eichard,  by  the  grace  of  Grod,  I  invest  thee 
with  the  ducal  mantle  of  Normandy  !  " 

Two  of  the  Bishops  then  hung  round  his 
shoulders  a  crimson  velvet  mantle,  furred  with 
ermine,  which,  made  as  it  was  for  a  grown  man, 
hung  heavily  on  the  poor  child's  shoulders,  and 
lay  in  heaps  on  the  ground.  The  Archbishop 
then  set  the  golden  coronet  on  his  long  flowing 
hair,  where  it  hung  so  loosely  on  the  little  head, 
that  Sir  Eric  was  obliged  to  put  his  hand  to  it 
to  hold  it  safe  ;  and,  lastly,  the  long,  straight, 
two-handed  sword  was  brought,  and  placed  in 
his  hand,  with  another  solemn  bidding  to  use  it 
ever  in  maintaining  the  right.  It  should  have 
been  girded  to  his  side,  but  the  great  sword  was 
so  much  taller  than  the  little  Duke,  that  as  it 
stood  upright  by  him,  he  was  obliged  to  raise 
his  arm  to  put  it  round  the  handle. 

He  then  had  to  return  to  iris  throne,  which 
was  not  done  without  some  difficulty,  encum- 
bered as  he  was,  but  Osmond  held  up  the  train 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  45 

of  his  mantle,  Sir  Eric  kept  the  coronet  on  his 
head,  and  he  himself  held  fast  and  lovingly  the 
sword,  though  the  Count  of  Harcourt  offered  to 
carry  it  for  him.  He  was  lifted  up  to  his  throne, 
and  then  came  the  paying  him  homage  ;  Alan, 
Duke  of  Brittany,  was  the  first  to  kneel  before 
him,  and  with  his  hand  between  those  of  the 
Duke,  he  swore  to  be  his  man,  to  obey  him,  and 
pay  him  feudal  service  for  his  dukedom  of  Brit- 
tany. In  return,  Richard  swore  to  be  his  good 
Lord,  and  to  protect  him  from  all  his  foes. 
Then  followed  Bernard  the  Dane,  and  many 
another,  each  repeating  the  same  formulary,  as 
their  large  rugged  hands  were  clasped  within 
those  little  soft  fingers.  Many  a  kind  and  loving 
eye  was  bent  in  compassion  on  the  orphan  child  ; 
many  a  strong  voice  faultered  with  earnestness 
as  it  pronounced  the  vow,  and  many  a  brave 
stalwart  heart  heaved  with  grief  for  the  mur- 
dered father,  and  tears  flowed  down  the  war- 
worn cheeks  which  had  met  the  fiercest  storms 
of  the  northern  ocean,  as  they  bent  before  the 
young  fatherless  boy,  whom  they  loved  for  the 
;>  sake  of  his  conquering  grandfather,  and  his 
brave  and  pious  father.  Few  Normans  were 
there  whose  hearts  did  not  glow  at  the  touch  of 


46  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

those  small  hands,  with  the   love  almost   of  a 
parent,  for  their  young  Duke. 

The  ceremony  of  receiving  homage  lasted 
long,  and  Kichard,  though  interested  and 
touched  at  first,  grew  very  weary  ;  the  crown 
and  mantle  were  so  heavy,  the  faces  succeeded 
each  other  like  figures  in  an  endless  dream,  and 
the  constant  repetition  of  the  same  words  were 
very  tedious.  He  grew  sleepy,  he  longed  to 
jump  up,  to  lean  to  the  right  or  left,  or  to  speak 
something  besides  that  regular  form.  He  gave 
one  great  yawn,,  but  it  brought  him  such  a 
frown  from  the  stern  face  of  Bernard,  as  quite 
to  wake  him  for  a  few  minutes,  and  make  him 
sit  upright,  and  receive  the  next  vassal  with  as 
much  attention  as  he  had  shown  the  first,  but 
he  looked  imploringly  at  Sir  Eric,  as  if  to  ask 
if  it  ever  would  be  over.  At  last,  far  down 
among  the  Barons,  came  one  at  whose  sight 
Richard  revived  a  little.  It  was  a  boy  only  a 
few  years  older  than  himself,  perhaps  about  ten, 
with  a  pleasant  brown  face,  black  hair,  and 
quick  black  .eyes,  which  glanced  with  a  look  be- 
tween friendliness  and  respect,  up  into  the  little 
Duke's  gazing  face.  Richard  listened  eagerly 
for  his  name,  and  was  refreshed  at  the  sound  of 
the  boyish  voice  that  pronounced,  "  I,  Alberic 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  47 

de  Mont  cm  ar,  am  thy  liegeman  and  vassal  for 
my  castle  and  barony  of  Montemar  sur  Epte." 

When  Alberic  moved  away,  Richard  fol- 
lowed him  with  his  eye  as  far  as  he  could  to  his 
place  in  the  Cathedral,  and  was  taken  by  sur- 
prise when  he  found  the  next  Baron  kneeling 
before  him. 

The  ceremony  of  homage  came  to  an  end  at 
last,  and  Richard  would  fain  have  run  all  the 
way  to  the  palace  to  shake  off  his  weariness, 
but  he  was  obliged  to  head  the  procession  again  ; 
and  even  when  he  reached  the  castle  ball  his 
toils  were  not  over,  for  there  was  a  great .  state 
banquet  spread  out,  and  he  had  to  sit  in  the 
high  chair  where  he  remembered  climbing  on 
his  father's  knee  last  Christmas-day,  all  the  time 
that  the  Barons  feasted  round,  and  held  grave 
converse.  Richard's  best  comfort  all  this  time 
was  in  watching  Osmond  de  Centeville  and 
Alberic  de  Montemar,  who,  with  the  other 
youths  who  were  not  yet  knighted,  were  waiting 
on  those  who  sat  at  the  table.  At  last  he  grew 
so  very  weary,  that  he  fell  fast  asleep  in  the  cor- 
ner of  his  chair,  and  did  not  wake  till  he  was 
startled  by  the  rough  voice  of  Bernard  de  Har- 
court,  calling  him  to  rouse  up,  .and  bid  the 
Duke  of  Brittany  farewell. 


48  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  Poor  child  ! "  said  Duke  Alan,  as  Richard 
rose  up  startled,  "he  is  over-wearied  with  this 
day's  work.  Take  care  of  him,  Count  Bernard, 
thou  art  a  kindly  nurse,  but  a  rough  one  for 
such  a  babe.  Ha  !  my  young  Lord,  your  colour 
mantles  at  being  called  a  babe  ;  I  crave  your 
pardon,  for  you  are  a  fine  spirit.  And  hark 
you,  Lord  Kichard  of  Normandy,  I  have  little 
cause  to  love  your  race,  and  little  right,  I  trow, 
had  King  Charles  the  Simple  to  call  us  free 
Bretons  liegemen  to  a  race  of  plundering  Nor- 
thern pirates.  To  Duke  Hollo's  might,  my 
father  never  gave  his  homage  ;  nay,  nor  did  I 
yield  it  for  all  Duke  William's  long  sword,  but 
I  did  pay  it  to  his  generosity  and  forbearance, 
and  now  I  grant  it  to  thy  weakness,  and  to  his 
noble  memory.  I  doubt  not  that  the  recreant 
Frank,  Louis,  whom  he  restored  to  his  throne, 
will  strive  to  profit  by  thy  youth  and  helpless- 
ness, and  should  that  be,  remember  that  thou 
hast  no  surer  friend  than  Alan  of  Brittany. 
Fare  thee  well,  my  young  Duke." 

"  Farewell,  sir,"  said  Richard,  willingly  giv- 
ing his  hand  to  be  shaken  by  his  kind  vassal, 
and  watching  him  as  Sir  Eric  attended  him 
from  the  hall. 

"  Fair  words,  but  I  trust  not   the   Breton," 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  49 

muttered  Bernard  ;   "hatred  is  deeply  ingrained 
in  them/' 

"He  should  know  what  the  Frank  King  is 
made  of/'  said  Rainulf  de  Ferrieres,  "he "was 
bred  up  with  him  in  the  days  that  they  were 
both  exiles  at  the  court  of  King  Ethelstane  of 
England." 

"Aye,  and  thanks  to  Duke  William,  that 
either  Louis  or  Alan  are  not  exiles  still.  Now 
we  shall  see  whose  gratitude  is  worth  most,  the 
Frank's  or  the  Breton's  ;  I  suspect  the  Norman 
valour  will  be  the  best  to  trust  to."     . 

"  Yes,  and  how  will  Norman  valour  prosper 
without  treasure?  Who  knows  what  gold 
is  in  the  Duke's  coffers  ?  " 

There  was  some  consultation  here  in  a  low 
voice,  and  the  next  thing  Richard  heard  dis- 
tinctly was,  that  one  of  the  nobles  held  up  a 
silver  chain  and  key,9  saying  that  they  had  been 
found  on  the  Duke's  neck,  and  that  he  had  kept 
them,  thinking  that  they  doubtless  led  to  some- 
thing of  importance. 

"Oyes!"  said  Richard,  eagerly,  "I  know 
It.  He  told  me  it  was  the  key  to  his  greatest 
treasure." 

The  Normans  heard  this  with  great  interest, 
and  it  was  resolved  that    several  of  the   most 
3 


50  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

trusted  persons,  among  whom  were  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Rouen,  Abbot  Martin  of  Jumieges, 
and  the  Count  of  Harcourt,  should  go  imme- 
diately in  search  of  this  precious  hoard.  Rich- 
ard accompanied  them  up  the  narrow  rough 
stone  stairs,  to  the  large  dark  apartment,  where 
his  father  had  slept.  Though  a  Prince's 
chamber,  it  had  little  furniture  ;  a  low  uncur- 
tained bed;  a  Cross  on  a  ledge  near  its  head,  a 
rude  table,  a  few  chairs,  and  two  large  chests, 
were  all  it  contained.  Harcourt  tried  the  lid 
of  one  of  the  chests,  it  opened,  and  proved  to 
be  full  of  wearing  apparel ;  he  went  to  the 
other,  which  was  smaller,  much  more  carved, 
and  ornamented  with  handsome  iron-work.  It 
was  locked,  and  putting  in  the  key,  it  fitted,  the 
lock  turned,  and  the  chest  was  opened.  The 
Normans  pressed  eagerly  to  see  their  Duke's 
greatest  treasure. 

It  was  a  robe  of  serge,  and  a  pair  of  san- 
dals, such  as  were  worn  in  the  Abbey  of 
Jumieges. 

"  Ha  !  is  this  all  !  What  didst  say,  child  ?  " 
cried  Bernard  the  Dane,  hastily. 

"  He  told  me  it  was  his  greatest  treasure  !  " 
repeated  Richard. 

"  And  it  was  !  M  said  Abbot  Martin. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  51 

Then  the  good  Abbot  told  them  the  history, 
part  of  which  was  already  known  to  some  of 
them.  About  five  or  six  years  before,  Duke 
William  had  been  hunting  in  the  forest  of 
Jumieges,  when  he  had  suddenly  come  on  the 
ruins  of  the  Abbey,  which  had  been  wasted 
thirty  or  forty  years  previously,  by  the  Sea-King, 
Hasting.  Two  old  monks,  of  the  original 
brotherhood,  still  survived,  and  came  forth  to 
greet  the  Duke,  and  offer  him  their  hospitality. 

"  Aye  !  "  said  Bernard,  "  well  do  I  remem- 
ber their  bread ;  we  asked  if  it  was  made  of 
fir-bark,  like  that  of  our  brethren  of  Norway." 

William,  then  an  eager  thoughtless  young 
man,  turned  with  disgust  from  this  wretched 
fare,  and  throwing  the  old  men  some  gold,  gal- 
loped on  to  enjoy  his  hunting.  In  the  course 
of  the  sport,  he  was  left  alone,  and  encountered 
a  wild  boar,  which  threw  him  down,  trampled 
on  him,  and  left  him  stretched  senseless  on  the 
ground,  severely  injured.  His  companions  coming 
up,  carried  him,  as  the  nearest  place  of  shelter, 
to  the  ruins  of  Jumieges,  where  the  two  old 
monks  gladly  received  him  in  the  remaining 
portion  of  their  house.  As  soon  as  he  recovered 
his  senses,  he  earnestly  asked  their  pardon  for 
his  pride,  and  the  scorn  he  had  shown  to  the 


52  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

poverty  and  patient  suffering  which   he  should 
have  reverenced. 

William  had  always  been  a  man  who  chose 
the  good  and  refused  the  evil,  but  this  accident, 
and  the  long  illness  that  followed  it,  made  him 
far  more  thoughtful  and  serious  than  he  had 
ever  been  before  ;  he  made  preparing  for  death 
and  eternity  his  first  object,  and  thought  less  of 
his  worldly  affairs,  his  wars,  and  his  ducal  state. 
He  rebuilt  the  old  Abbey,  endowed  it  richly, 
and  sent  for  Martin  himself  from  France,  to  be- 
come the  Abbot ;  he  delighted  in  nothing  so 
much  as  praying  there,  conversing  with  the 
Abbot,  and  hearing  him  read  holy  books  ;  and 
felt  his  temporal  affairs,  and  the  state  and 
splendour  of  his  rank  so  great  a  temptation, 
that  he  had  one  day  come  to  the  Abbot,  and 
entreated  to  be  allowed  to  lay  them  aside,  and 
become  a  brother  of  the  order.  But  Martin  had 
refused  to  receive  his  vows.  He  had  told  him 
that  he  had  no  right  to  neglect  or  forsake  the 
duties  of  the  station  which  God  had  appointed 
him  ;  that  it  would  be  a  sin  to  leave  the  post 
which  had  been  given  him  to  defend  ;  and  that 
the  way  marked  out  for  him  to  serve  God  was 
by  doing  justice  among  his  people,  and  using 
his  power  to  defend  the  right.     Not  till  he  had 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  53 

done  his  allotted  work,  and  his  son  was  old 
enough  to  take  his  place  as  ruler  of  the  Nor- 
mans, might  he  cease  from  his  active  duties, 
quit  the  turmoil  of  the  world,  and  seek  the  re- 
pose of  the  cloister.  It  was  in  this  hope  of 
peaceful  retirement,  that  William  had  delighted 
to  treasure  up  the  humble  garments  that  he 
hoped  one  day  to  wear  in  peace  and  holiness. 

"  And  oh  !  my  noble  Duke  ! "  exclaimed 
Abbot  Martin,  bursting  into  tears,  as  he  finished 
his  narration,  "  the  Lord  hath  been  very  gracious 
unto  thee.  He  has  taken  thee  home  to  thy  rest, 
long  before  thou  didst  dare  to  hope  for  it." 

Slowly,  and  with  subdued  feelings,  the  Nor- 
man Barons  left  the  chamber  ;  Kichard,  whom 
they  seemed  to  have  almost  forgotten,  wandered 
to  the  stairs,  to  find  his  way  to  the  room  where 
he  had  slept  last  night.  He  had  not  made 
many  steps  before  he  heard  Osmond's  voice  say, 
"  Here,  my  Lord  ; "  he  looked  up,  saw  a  white 
cap  at  a  doorway  a  little  above  him,  he  bounded 
up,  and  flew  into  Dame  Astrida's  outstretched 
arms. 

How  glad  he  was  to  sit  in  her  lap,  and  lay 
his  wearied  head  on  her  bosom,  while,  with  a 
worn-out  voice,  he  exclaimed,  "  0  Fru  Astrida  ! 
I  am  very,  very  tired  of  being  Duke  of 
Normandy  ! " 


CHAPTER  IY. 

Eichakd  of  Normandy  was  very  anxious  to 
know  more  of  the  little  boy  whom  he  had  seen 
among  his  vassals. 

"  Ah  !  the  young  Baron  de  Montemar,"  said 
Sir  Eric  ;  "  I  knew  his  father  well,  and  a  brave 
man  he  was,  though  not  of  northern  blood.  He 
was  warden  of  the  marches  of  the  Epte,  and 
was  killed  by  your  father's  side,  in  the  inroad  of 
the  Viscount  du  Cotentin, 10  at  the  time  when 
you  were  born,  Lord  Richard." 

"But  where  does  he  live  ?  Shall  I  not  see 
him  again  ?  " 

"  Montemar  is  on  the  bank  of  the  Epte,  in 
the  domain  that  the  French  wrongfully  claim 
from  us.  He  lives  there  with  his  mother,  and 
if  he  be  not  yet  returned,  you  shall  see  him 
presently.  Osmond,  go  you  and  seek  out  the 
lodging  of  the  young  Montemar,  and  tell  him 
the  Duke  would  see  him." 


THE    LITTLE   DUKE.  55 

Richard  had  never  had  a  playfellow  of  his 
own  age,  and  his  eagerness  to  see  Alberic  de 
Montemar  was  great.  He  watched  from  the 
window,  and  at  length  beheld  Osmond  entering 
the  court  with  a  boy  of  ten  years  old  by  his 
side,  and  an  old  grey-headed  squire,  with  a  gold 
chain  to  mark  him  as  a  seneschal  or  steward  of 
the  castle,  walking  behind. 

Richard  ran  to  the  door  to  meet  them, 
holding  out  his  hand  eagerly.  Alberic  uncovered 
his  bright  dark  hair,  bowed  low  and  gracefully, 
but  stood  as  if  he  did  not  exactly  know  what  to 
do  next.  Richard  grew  shy  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, and  the  two  boys  stood  looking  at  each 
other  somewhat  awkwardly.  It  was  easy  to  see 
that  they  were  of  different  races,  so  unlike  were 
the  blue  eyes,  flaxen  hair,  and  fair  face  of  the 
young  Duke,  to  the  black  eyes  and  olive  cheek 
of  the  French  vassal,  who,  though  two  years 
older,  was  scarcely  above  him  in  height ;  and 
his  slight  figure,  well  proportioned,  active  and 
agile  as  it  was,  did  not  give  the  same  promise 
of  strength  as  the  round  limbs,  and  large-boned 
frame  of  Richard,  which  even  now  seemed  likely 
to  rival  the  gigantic  stature  of  his  grandfather, 
Earl  Rollo,  the  Ganger. 

For  some  minutes  the  little  Duke  and  the 


56  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

young  Baron  surveyed  each  other  without  a 
word,  and  old  Sir  Eric  did  not  improve  matters 
by  saying,  "Well,  Lord  Duke,  here  he  is. 
Have  you  no  better  greeting  for  him  ?  " 

"  The  children  are  shame-faced,"  said  Fru 
Astrida,  seeing  how  they  both  coloured.  "  Is 
your  Lady  mother  in  good  health,  my  young 
sir  ?  " 

Alberic  blushed  more  deeply,  bowed  to  the 
old  northern  lady,  and  answered  fast  and  low  in 
French,  "  I  cannot  speak  the  Norman  tongue." 

Eichard,  glad'  to  say  something,  interpreted 
Fru  Astrida 's  speech,  and  Alberic  readily  made 
courteous  reply  that  his  mother  was  well,  and 
he  thanked  the  Dame  de  Centeville,  a  French 
title  which  sounded  new  to  Fru  Astrida's  ears. 
Then  came  the  embarrassment  again,  and  Fru 
Astrida  at  last  said,  "Take  him  out,  Lord 
Eichard,  take  him  to  see  the  horses  in  the  sta- 
bles, or  the  hounds,  or  what  not." 

Eichard  was  not  sorry  to  obey,  so  out  they 
went  into  the  court  of  Hollo's  tower,  and  in  the 
open  air  the  shyness  went  off.  Eichard  showed 
his  own  pony,  and  Alberic  asked  if  he  could 
leap  into  the  saddle  without  putting  his  foot  in 
the  stirrup.  No,  Eichard  could  not ;  indeed, 
even  Osmond  had  never  seen  it  done,  for   the 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  57 

feats  of  French  chivalry  had  scarcely  yet  spread 
into  Normandy. 

"  Can  yon  ?  "  said  Kichard;  "  will  you  show 
us  ?  » 

"  I  know  I  can  with  my  own  pony,"  said 
Alberic,  "  for  Bertrand  will  not  let  me  mount 
in  any  other  way  ;  but  I  will  try  with  yours,  if 
you  desire  it,  my  Lord." 

So  the  pony  was  led  out.  Alberic  laid  one 
hand  on  its  mane,  and  vaulted  on  its  back  in  a 
moment.  Both  Osmond  and  Kichard  broke  out 
loudly  into  admiration.  "  0,  this  is  nothing  ! " 
said  Alberic,  "  Bertrand  says  it  is  nothing.  Be- 
fore he  grew  old  and  stiff  he  could  spring  into 
the  saddle  in  this  manner  fully  armed.  I  ought 
to  do  this  much  better." 

Richard  begged  to  be  shown  how  to  perform 
the  exploit,  and  Alberic  repeated  it ;  then 
Richard  wanted  to  try,  but  the  pony's  patience 
would  not  endure  any  longer,  and  Alberic  said 
he  had  learnt  on  a  block  of  wood,  and  practised 
on  the  great  wolf-hound.  They  wandered  about 
a  little  longer  in  the  court,  and  then  climbed  up 
the  spiral  stone  stairs  to  the  battlements  at  the 
top  of  the  tower,  where  they  looked  at  the 
house-tops  of  Rouen  close  beneath,  and  the  river 
Seine,  broadening  and  glittering  on  one  side  in 
3* 


58  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

its  course  to  the  sea,  and  on  the  other  narrowing 
to  a  blue  ribbon  winding  through  the  green  ex- 
panse of  fertile  Normandy.  They  threw  the 
pebbles  and  bits  of  mortar  down  that  they  might 
hear  them  fall,  and  tried  which  could  stand 
nearest  to  the  edge  of  the  battlement  without 
being  giddy.  Kichard  was  pleased  to  find  that 
he  could  go  the  nearest,  and  began  to  tell  some 
of  Fru  Astrida's  stories  about  the  precipices  of 
Norway,  among  which  when  she  was  a  young 
girl  she  used  to  climb  about  and  tend  the  cattle 
in  the  long  light  summer  time.  When  the  two 
boys  came  down  again  into  the  hall  to  dinner 
they  felt  as  if  they  had  known  each  other  all 
their  lives.  The  dinner  was  laid  out  in  full 
state,  and  Kichard  had,  as  before,  to  sit  in  the 
great  throne-like  chair,  with  the  old  Count  of 
Harcourt  on  one  side,  but,  to  his  comfort,  Fru 
Astrida  was  on  the  other. 

After  the  dinner,  Alberic  de  Montemar  rose 
to  take  his  leave,  as  he  was  to  ride  half  way  to 
his  home  that  afternoon.  Count  Bernard,  who 
all  dinner  time  had  been  watching  him  intently 
from  under  his  shaggy  eye-brows,  at  this  mo- 
ment turned  to  Richard,  whom  he  hardly  ever 
addressed,  and  said  to  him,  "  Hark  ye,  my  Lord, 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  59 

what  should  you  say  to  have  him  yonder  for  a 
comrade  ?  " 

"  To  stay  with  me  ? "  cried  Richard,  ea- 
gerly. "  0,  thanks,  Sir  Count ;  and  may  he 
stay  ?  " 

"  You  are  Lord  here." 

"  0  Alberic  !  "  cried  Richard,  jumping  out 
of  his  chair  of  state,  and  running  up  to  him, 
"  will  you  not  stay  with  me,  and  be  my  brother 
and  comrade  ?  " 

Alberic  looked  down,  hesitating. 

"  I  must  obey  you,  my  Lord,"  said  Alberic, 
"but—" 

"  Come,  young  Frenchman,  out  with  it,"*said 
Bernard,  "  no  buts  !  Speak  honestly,  and  at 
once,  like  a  Norman,  if  you  can." 

This  rough  speech  seemed  to  restore  the 
little  Baron's  self-possession,  and  he  looked  up 
bright  and  bold  at  the  rugged  face  of  the  old 
Dane,  while  he  said,  "I  had  rather  not  stay 
here." 

"  Ha  !  not  to  do  service  to  your  Lord  ?  " 

"  I  would  serve  him  with  all  my  heart,  but 
I  do  not  want  to  stay  here.  I  love  the  Castle 
of  Montemar  better,  and  my  mother  has  no 
one  but  me." 

"  Brave  and  true,  Sir  Frenchman,"  said  the 


60  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

old  Count,  laying  his  great  hand  on  Alberic's 
head,  and  looking  better  pleased  than  Richard 
thought  his  grim  features  could  have  appeared. 
Then  turning  to  Bertrand,  Alberic's  seneschal, 
he  said,  "  Bear  the  Count  de  Harcourt's  greet- 
ings to  the  noble  Dame  de  Montemar,  and  say 
to  her  that  her  son  is  of  a  free,  bold  spirit,  and 
if  she  would  have  him  bred  up  with  my  Lord 
Duke,  as  his  comrade  and  brother  in  arms,  he 
will  find  a  ready  welcome." 

"  So,  Alberic,  you  will  come  back  perhaps/' 
said  Eichard. 

"  That  must  be  as  my  mother  pleases," 
answered  Alberic  bluntly,  and  with  all  due  ci- 
vilities he  and  his  seneschal  departed. 

Four  or  five  times  a  day  did  Eichard  ask 
Osmond  and  Fru  Astrida  if  they  thought  Albe- 
ric would  return,  and  it  was  a  great  satisfaction 
to  him  to  find  that  every  one  agreed  that  it 
would  be  very  foolish  in  the  Dame  de  Montemar 
to  refuse  so  good  an  offer,  only  Fru  Astrida 
could  not  quite  believe  she  would  part  with  her 
son.  Still  no  Baron  de  Montemar  arrived,  and 
the  little  Duke  was  beginning  to  think  less 
about  his  hopes,  when  one  evening,  as  he  was 
returning  from  a  ride  with  Sir  Eric  and  Osmond, 
he  saw  four  horsemen  coming  towards  them,  and 
a  little  boy  in  front. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  61 

"  It  is  Alberic  himself,  I  am  sure  of  it  ! " 
he  exclaimed,  and  so  it  proved  ;  and  while  the 
seneschal  delivered  his  lady's  message  to  Sir 
Eric,  Kichard  rode  up  and  greeted  the  welcome 
guest. 

"  0,  I  am  very  glad  your  mother  has  sent 
you  !  '•' 

"  She  said  she  was  not  fit  to  bring  up  a 
young  warrior  of  the  marches,"  said  Alberic. 

"  Were  you  very  sorry  to  come  ?  " 

"I  dare  say  I  shall  not  mind  it  soon,  and 
Bertrand  is  to  come  and  fetch  me  home  to  visit 
her  every  three  months,  if  you  will  let  me  go, 
my  Lord." 

Richard  was  extremely  delighted,  and 
thought  he  could  never  do  enough  to  make  Rouen 
pleasant  to  Alberic,  who  after  the  first  day  or 
two  cheered  up,  missed  his  mother  less,  managed 
to  talk  something  between  French  and  Norman 
to  Sir  Eric  and  Fru  Astrida,  and  became  a  very 
animated  companion  and  friend.  In  one  re- 
spect Alberic  was  a  better  playfellow  for  the 
Duke  than  Osmond  de  Centeville,  for  Osmond, 
playing  as  a  grown  up  man,  not  for  his  own 
amusement,  but  the  child's,  had  left  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  game  to  Richard,  who  was 
growing  not  a  little  inclined  to.  domineer.     This 


62  THE   LITTLE   DTJKE. 

Alberic  did  not  like,  unless,  as  lie  said,  "  it  was 
to  be  always  Lord  and  vassal,  and  then  he  did 
not  care  for  the  game,"  and  he  played  with  so 
little  animation  that  Eichard  grew  vexed. 

"  I  can't  help  it,"  said  Alberic,  "  if  you  take 
all  the  best  chances  to  yourself,  'tis  no  sport 
for  me.  I  will  do  your  bidding,  as  you  are  the 
Duke,  but  I  cannot  like  it." 

"  Never  mind  my  being  Duke,  but  play  as 
we  used  to  do." 

"  Then  let  us  play  as  I  did  with  Bert  rand's 
sons  at  Montemar.  I  was  their  Baron,  as  you 
are  my  Duke,  but  my  mother  said  there  would 
be  no  sport  unless  we  forgot  all  that  at  play." 

"Then  so  we  will.  Come,  begin  again, 
Alberic,  and  you  shall  have  the  first  turn." 

However,  Alberic  was  quite  as  courteous  and 
respectful  to  the  Duke  when  they  were  not  at 
play,  as  the  difference  of  their  rank  required  ; 
indeed,  he  had  learned  much  more  grace  and 
courtliness  of  demeanor  from  his  mother,  a 
Provencal  lady,  than  was  yet  to  be  found  among 
the  Normans.  The  chaplain  of  Montemar  had 
begun  to  teach  him  to  read  and  write,  and  he 
liked  learning  much  better  than  Kichard,  who 
would  not  have  gone  on  with  Father  Lucas's 
lessons  at  all,  if  ^Abbot  Martin  of  Jumieges  had 


THE    LITTLE   DUKE.  63 

not  put  him  in  mind  that  it  had  been  his 
father's  especial  desire. 

What  Richard  most  disliked  was,  however, 
the  being  obliged  to  sit  in  council.  The  Count 
of  Har court  did  in  truth  govern  the  dukedom, 
but  nothing  could  be  done  without  the  Duke's 
consent,  and  once  a  week  at  least,  there  was 
held  in  the  great  hall  of  Hollo's  tower,  what 
was  called  a  Parlement,  "  or  a  taXkation" 
where  Count  Bernard,  the  Archbishop,  the 
Baron  de  Centeville,  the  Abbot  of  Jumieges, 
and  such  other  bishops,  nobles  or  abbots,  as  might 
chance  to  be  at  Rouen,  consulted  on  the  affairs 
of  Normandy;  and  there  the  little  Duke  always 
was  forced  to  be  present,  sitting  up  in  his  chair 
of  State,  and  hearing,  rather  than  listening  to, 
questions  about  the  repairing  and  guarding  of 
castles,  the  asking  of  loans  from  the  vassals,  the 
appeals  from  the  Barons  of  the  Exchequer,  who 
were  then  nobles  sent  through  the  duchy  to  ad- 
minister justice,  and  the  discussions  about  the 
proceedings  of  his  neighbours,  King  Louis  of 
France,  Count  Foulques  of  Anjou,  and  Count 
Herluin  of  Moutreuil,  and  how  far  the  friend- 
ship of  Hugh  of  Paris,  and  Alan  of  Brittany 
might  be  trusted. 

Very  tired  of  this  did  Richard  grow,  espe- 


64  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

cially  when  he  found  that  the  Normans  had 
made  up  their  minds  not  to  attempt  a  war 
against  the  wicked  Count  of  Flanders.  He 
sighed  most  wearily,  yawned  again  and  again, 
and  moved  restlessly  about  in  the  chair  ;  but 
whenever  Count  Bernard  saw  him  doing  so,  he 
received  so  severe  a  look  and  sign  that  he  grew 
perfectly  to  dread  the  eye  of  the  fierce  old  Dane. 
Bernard  never  spoke  to  him  to  praise  him,  or 
to  enter  into  any  of  his  pursuits  ;  he  only  treat- 
ed him  with  the  grave  distant  respect  due  to 
him  as  a  prince,  or  else  now  and  then  spoke  a 
few  stern  words  to  him  of  reproof  for  this  rest- 
lessness, or  for  some  other  childish  folly. 

Used  as  Kichard  was  to  be  petted  and  made 
much  of  by  the  whole  house  of  Centeville,  he 
resented  this  considerably  in  secret,  disliked  and 
feared  the  old  Count,  and  more  than  once  told 
Alberic  de  Montemar,  that  as  soon  as  he  was 
fourteen,  when  he  would  be  declared  of  age,  he 
should  send  Count  Bernard  to  take  care  of  his 
own  castle  of  Harcourt,  instead  of  letting  him 
sit  gloomy  and  grim  in  the  castle  hall  in  the 
evening,  spoiling  all  their  sport. 

Winter  had  set  in,  and  Osmond  used  daily 
to  take  the  little  Duke  and  Alberic  to  the  near- 
est  sheet  of  ice,  for  the  Normans  still  prided 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  65 

themselves  on  excelling  in  skating,  though  they 
had  long  since  left  the  frost-bound  streams  and 
lakes  of  Norway. 

One  day,  as  they  were  returning  from  the 
ice,  they  were  surprised,  even  before  they  en- 
tered the  castle  court,  by  hearing  the  trampling 
of  horses'  feet  and  a  sound  of  voices. 

"  What  may  this  mean  ? "  said  Osmond. 
"  There  must  surely  be  a  great  arrival  of  the 
vassals.     The  Duke  of  Brittany,  perhaps." 

"  0,"  said  Eichard  piteously,  "  we  have  had 
one  council  already  this  week,  I  hope  another  is 
not  coming  ! " 

"  It  must  import  something  extraordinary," 
proceeded  Osmond.  "  It  is  a  mischance  that 
the  Count  of  Harcourt  is  not  at  Kouen  just 
now." 

Eichard  thought  this  no  mischance  at  all, 
and  just  then  Alberic,  who  had  run  on  a  little 
before,  came  back  exclaiming,  "  They  are  French. 
It  is  the  Frank  tongue,  not  the  Norman,  that 
they  speak." 

"  So  please  you,  my  Lord,"  said  Osmond, 
stopping  short,  "  we  go  not  rashly  into  the  midst 
of  them.  I  would  I  knew  what  were  best  to 
do." 

Osmond  rubbed  his  forehead  and  stood  con- 


6*6  THE    LITTLE   DUKE. 

j 

sidering,  while  the  two  boys  looked  at  him  anx- 
iously. In  a  few  seconds,  before  he  had  come 
to  any  conclusion,  there  came  forth  from  the 
gate  a  Norman  squire,  accompanied  by  two  stran- 
gers. 

"  My  Lord  Duke,"  said  he  to  Eichard,  in 
French,  "  Sir  Eric  has  sent  me  to  bring  you  ti- 
dings that  the  King  of  France  has  arrived  to  re- 
ceive your  homage." 

"  The  King  !  "  exclaimed  Osmond. 

"  Aye  !  "  proceeded  the  Norman,  in  his  own 
tongue,  "  Louis  himself,  and  with  a  train  looking 
bent  on  mischief.  I  wish  it  may  portend  good 
to  my  Lord  here.  You  see  I  am  acconrpanied. 
I  believe  from  my  heart  that  Louis  meant  to 
prevent  you  from  receiving  a  warning,  and  taking 
the  boy  out  of  his  clutches/' 

"  Ha  !  what  ?  "  said ,  Eichard,  anxiously. 
"  Why  is  the  King  come  ?  What  must  I 
do  ?  " 

"  Go  on  now,  since  there  is  no  help  for  it,"  said 
Osmond.  "  Greet  the  King  as  becomes,  you, 
bend  the  knee,  and  pay  him  homage." 

Eichard  repeated  over  to  himself  the  form 
of  homage  that  he  might  be  perfect  in  it,  and 
walked  on  into  the  court,  Alberic,  Osmond,  and 
the  rest  falling  back  as  he  entered.     The  court 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  67 

was  crowded  with  horses  and  men,  and  it  was 
only  by  calling  out  loudly,  "  The  Duke,  the 
Duke,"  that  Osmond  could  get  space  enough 
for  them  to  pass.  In  a  few  moments  Kichard 
had  mounted  the  steps  and  stood  in  the  great 
hall. 

In  the  chair  of  state,  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  room,  sat  a  small  spare  man,  of  about  eight 
or  nine-and-twenty,  pale,  and  of  a  light  com- 
plexion, with  a  rich  dress  of  blue  and  gold.  Sir 
Eric  and  several  other  persons  stood  respectfully 
round  him,  and  he  was  conversing  with  the  Arch- 
bishop, who,  as  well  as  Sir  Eric,  cast  several  anx- 
ious glances  at  the  little  Duke  as  he  advanced 
up  the  hall.  He  came  up  to  the  King,  put 
his  knee  to  the  ground,  and  was  just  beginning, 
"Louis,  Kiog  of  France,  I — "  when  he  found 
himself  suddenly  lifted  from  the  ground  in  the 
King's  arms,  and  kissed  on  both  cheeks.  Then 
setting  him  on  his  knee,  the  King  exclaimed, 
"  And  is  this  the  son  of  my  brave  and  noble  friend, 
Duke  William  ?  Ah  !  I  should  have  known  it 
from  his  likeness  !  Let  me  embrace  you  again, 
dear  child,  for  your  father's  sake  ! " 

Kichard  was  rather  overwhelmed,  but  he 
thought  the  King  very  kind,  especially  when 
Louis  began  to  admire  his  height  and  free-spirited 


68  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

bearing,  and  to  lament  that  his  own  sons,  Lo- 
thaire  and  Carloinan,  were  so  much  smaller  and 
more  backward.  He  caressed  Richard  again  and 
again,  praised  every  word  he  said — Fru  Astrida 
was  nothing  to  him  ;  and  Bichard  began  to  say 
to  himself  how  strange  and  unkind  it  was  of 
Bernard  de  Harcourt  to  like  to  find  fault  with 
him,  when,  on  the  contrary,  he  deserved  all  this 
praise  from  the  King  himself. 


CHAPTER   V. 

Duke  Richard  of  Normandy  slept  in  the 
room  which  had  been  his  father's ;  Alberic  de 
Montemar,  as  his  page,  slept  at  his  feet,  and  Os- 
mond de  Centeville  had  a  bed  on  the  floor,  across 
the  door,  where  he  lay  with  his  sword  close  at 
hand,  as  his  young  Lord's  guard  and  protector. 

All  had  been  asleep  for  some  little  time,  when 
Osmond  was  startled  by  a  slight  movement  of 
the  door,  which  could  not  be  pushed  open  with- 
out wakening  him.  In  an  instant  he  had  grasped 
his  sword,  while  he  pressed  his  shoulder  to  the 
door  to  keep  it  close;  but  it  was  his  father's 
voice  that  answered  him  with  a  few  whispered 
words  in  the  Norse  tongue,  "  It  is  I,  open." 
He  made  way  instantly,  and  old  Sir  Eric  entered, 
treading  cautiously  with  bare  feet,  and  sat  down 
on  the  bed  motioning  him  to  do  the  same,  so  that 
they  might  be  able  to  speak  lower.  "  Right, 
Osmond,"  he  said,  "  It  is  well  to  be  on  the  alert, 
for  peril  enough  is  around  him — The  Frank 
means  mischief !     I  know  from  a  sure  hand  that 


'   *. 

70  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

Arnulf  of  Flanders  was  in  council  with  him 
just  before  he  came  hither;  with  his  false  tongue, 
wiling  and  coaxing  the  poor  child  !  " 

"  Ungrateful  traitor  !  "  murmured  Osmond  ; 
"  Do  you  guess  his  purpose  ?  " 

"  Yes,  surely,  to  carry  the  boy  off  with  him, 
and  so  he  trusts  doubtless  to  cut  off  all  the  race 
of  Eollo  !  I  know  his  purpose  is  to  bear  off 
the  Duke,  as  a  ward  of  the  crown  forsooth.  Did 
you  not  hear  him  luring  the  child  with  his  prom- 
ises of  friendship  with  the  princes  ?  I  could 
not  understand  all  his  French  words,  but  I  saw 
it  plain  enough." 

"  You  will  never  allow  it  ?  " 

"  If  he  does,  it  must  be  across  our  dead 
bodies  ;  but  taken  as  we  are  by  surprise,  our 
resistance  will  little  avail.  The  castle  is  full 
of  French,  the  hall  and  court  swarm  with  them. 
Even  if  we  could  draw  our  Normans  together, 
we  should  not  be  more  than  a  dozen  men,  and 
what  could  we  do  but  die.  That  we  are  ready 
for,  if  it  may  not  be  otherwise,  rather  than  let 
our  charge  be  thus  borne  off  without  a  pledge 
for  his  safety,  and  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
states." 

"  The  King  could  not  have  come  at  a  worse 
time/'  said  Osmond. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  71 

"  No,  just  when  Bernard  the  Dane  is  ab- 
sent. If  he  only  knew  what  has  "befallen,  he 
could  raise  the  country,  and  come  to  the  res- 
cue." 

"  Could  we  not  send  some  one  to  bear  the 
tidings  to-night  ?  " 

"  I  know  not  !  "  said  Sir  Eric,  musingly. 
"  The  French  have  taken  the  keeping  of  the 
doors  ;  indeed,  they  are  so  thick  through  the 
castle  that  I  can  hardly  reach  one  of  our  men, 
nor  could  I  spare  one  hand  that  may  avail  to 
guard  the  boy  to-morrow." 

"  Sir  Eric  !  "  a  little  bare  foot  was  heard  on 
the  floor,  and  Alberic  de  Montemar  stood  before 
him.  "  I  did  not  mean  to  listen,  but  I  could 
not  help  hearing  you.  I  cannot  fight  for  the 
Duke  yet,  but  I  could  carry  a  message." 

"  How  would-  that  be  ? "  said  Osmond 
eagerly.  "  Once  out  of  the  castle,  and  in  Kouen, 
he  could  easily  find  means  of  sending  to  the 
Count.  He  might  go  either  to  the  Convent  of 
St.  Ouen,  or,  which  would  be  better,  to  the 
trusty  armourer  Thibault,  who  would  soon  find 
man  and  horse  to  send  after  the  Count." 

"  Ha  !  Let  me  see  !  "  said  Sir  Eric.  "  It 
might  be.     But  how  is  he  to  get  out  ?" 

I  know  a  way, "  said  Alberic,  "  I  scrambled 


iC 


72  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

down  that  wide  buttress  by  the  east  wall  last 
week,  when  our  ball  was  caught  in  a  branch  of 
the  ivy,  and  the  drawbridge  is  down." 

"If  Bernard  knew,  it  would  be  off  my  mind 
at  least!"  said  Sir  Eric.  "Well,  my  young 
Frenchman,  you  may  do  good  service." 

"Osmond,"  whispered  Alberic,  as  he  began 
hastily  to  dress  himself,  "only  ask  one  thing  of 
Sir  Eric,  never  to  call  me  young  Frenchman 
again  ! " 

Sir  Eric  smiled,  saying,  "  Prove  yourself 
Norman,  my  boy." 

"Then,"  added  Osmond,  "if  it  were  possi- 
ble to  get  the  Duke  himself  out  of  the  Castle 
to-morrow  morning.  If  I  could  take  him  forth 
by  the  postern,  and  once  bring  him  into  the 
town,  he  would  be  safe.  It  would  be  only  to 
raise  the  burghers,  or  else  to  take  refuge  in  the 
Church  of  our  Lady  till  the  Count  came  up, 
and  then  Louis  would  find  his  prey  out  of  his 
hands  when  he  awoke  and  sought  him." 

"  That  might  be,"  replied  Sir  Eric,  "  but  I 
doubt  your  success.  The  French  are  too  eager 
to  hold  him  fast,  to  let  him  slip  out  of  their 
hands.     You  will  find  every  door  guarded." 

"  Yes,  but  all  the  French  have  not  seen  the 
Duke,  and  the  sight  of  a  squire  and  a  little  page 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  73 

going  forth,  will  scarcely  excite  their  suspi- 
cion." 

"  Aye,  if  the  Duke  would  bear  himself  like 
a  little  page,  but  that  you  need  not  hope  for. 
Besides,  he  is  so  taken  with  this  King's  flatteries 
that  I  doubt  whether  he  would  consent  to  leave 
him  for  the  sake  of  Count  Bernard.  Poor  child, 
he  is  like  to  be  soon  taught  to  know  his  true 
friends." 

"  I  am  ready,"  said  Alberic,  coming  forward. 

The  Baron  de  Centeville  repeated  his  instruc- 
tions, and  then  undertook  to  guard  the  door, 
while  his  son  saw  Alberic  set  off  on  his  expedi- 
tion. Osmond  went  with  him  softly  down  the 
stairs,  then  avoiding  the  hall  which  was  filled 
with  French,  they  crept  silently  to  a  narrow 
window,  guarded  by  iron  bars,  placed  at  such 
short  intervals  apart,  that  only  so  small  and 
slim  a  form  as  Alberic's  could  have  squeezed  out 
between  them.  The  distance  to  the  ground  was 
not  much  more  than  twice  his  own  height,  and 
the  wall  was  so  covered  with  ivy  that  it  was  not 
a  very  dangerous  feat  for  an  active  boy,  so  that 
Alberic  was  soon  safe  on  the  ground  ;  then  look- 
ing up  to  wave  his  cap,  he  ran  on  along  the  side 
of  the  mote,  and  was  soon  lost  to  Osmond's 
sight  in  the  darkness. 


74  THE    LITTLE    DtTKE. 

Osmond  returned  to  the  Duke's  chamber, 
and  relieved  his  father's  guard,  while  Kichard 
slept  soundly  on,  little  guessing  at  the  plots  of 
his  enemies,  or  at  the  schemes  of  his  faithful 
subjects  for  his  protection. 

Osmond  thought  this  all  the  better,  for  he 
had  small  trust  in  Richard's  patience  and  self- 
command,  and  thought  there  was  much  more 
chance  of  getting  him  unnoticed  out  of  the 
Castle,  if  he  did  not  know  how  much  depended 
on  it,  and  how  dangerous  his  situation  was. 

When  Richard  awoke,  he  was  much  sur- 
prised at  missing  Alberic,  but  Osmond  said  he 
was  gone  into  the  town  to  Thibault  the  armourer, 
and  this  was  a  message  on  which  he  was  so  likely 
to  be  employed,  that  Richard's  suspicion  was 
not  excited.  All  the  time  he  was  dressing  he 
talked  about  the  King,  and  everything  he  meant 
to  show  him  that  day  ;  then  when  he  was  ready, 
the  first  thing  was,  as  usual,  to  go  to  attend 
morning  mass. 

"  Not  by  that  way  to-day,  my  Lord,"  said 
Osmond,  as  Richard  was  about  to  enter  the 
great  hall.  "It  is  crowded  with  the  French, 
who  have  been  sleeping  there  all  night ;  come 
to  the  postern." 

Osmond  turned,  as  he  spoke,  along  the  pas- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  75 

Bage,  walking  fast,  and  not  sorry  that  Richard 
was  lingering  a  little,  as  it  was  safer  for  him  to 
be  first.  The  postern  was,  as  he  expected, 
guarded  by  two  tall  steel-cased  figures,  who  im- 
mediately held  their  lances  across  the  doorway, 
saying,  "  None  passes  without  warrant." 

"  You  will  surely  let  us  of  the  castle  attend 
to  our  daily  business,"  said  Osmond.  "  You 
will  hardly  break  your  fast  this  morning  if  you 
stop  all  communication  with  the  town." 

"  You  must  bring  warrant,"  repeated  one  of 
the  men-at-arms.  Osmond  was  beginning  to 
say  that  he  was  the  son  of  the  Seneschal  of  the 
castle,  when  Richard  came  hastily  up.  u  What  ? 
Do  these  men  want  to  stop  us  ?  "  he  exclaimed 
in  the  imperious  manner  he  had  begun  to  take 
up  since  his  accession.     "  Let  us  go  on,  sirs." 

The  men-at-arms  looked  at  each  other,  and 
guarded  the  door  more  closely.  Osmond  saw  it 
was  hopeless,  and  only  wanted  to  draw  his 
young  charge  back  without  being  recognised, 
but  Richard  exclaimed  loudly,  "  What  means 
this  ?  " 

"  The  King  has  given  orders  that  none 
should  pass  without  warrant,"  was  Osmond's 
answer.     "  We  must  wait." 

"  I  will  pass  ! "  said  Richard,  impatient  at 


76  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

opposition  to  which  he  was  little  accustomed. 
"  What  mean  you,  Osmond  ?  This  is  my  castle, 
and  no  one  has  a  right  to  stop  me.  Do  you 
hear,  grooms,  let  me  go.     I  am  the  Duke  !  " 

The  sentinels  bowed,  but  all  they  said  was, 
"  our  orders  are  express." 

"  I  tell  you  I  am  Duke  of  Normandy,  and  I 
will  go  where  I  please  in  my  own  city  !  "  ex- 
claimed Richard,  passionately  pressing  against 
the  crossed  staves  of  the  weapons,  to  force  his 
way  between  them,  but  he  was  caught  and%  held- 
fast  in  the  powerful  gauntlet  of  one  of  the  men- 
at-arms.  "  Let  me  go,  villain  ! "  cried  he, 
struggling  with  all  his  might.  "  Osmond,  Os- 
mond, help  ! " 

Even  as  he  spoke,  Osmond  had  disengaged 
him  from  the  grasp  of  the  Frenchman,  and 
putting  his  hand  on  his  arm  said,  "  Nay,  my 
Lord,  it  is  not  for  you  to  strive  with  such  as 
these." 

"  I  will  strive  !  "  cried  the  boy,  "  I  will  not 
have  my  way  barred  in  my  own  castle.  I  will 
tell  the  King  how  these  rogues  of  his  use  me. 
I  will  have  them  in  the  dungeon.  Sir  Eric  ! 
where  is  Sir  Eric  ?  " 

Away  he  rushed  to  the  stairs,  Osmond  hur- 
rying after  him  lest  he  should  throw  himself  into 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  77 

some  fresh  danger,  or  by  his  loud  calls,  attract 
the  French,  who  might  then  easily  make  him 
prisoner.  However,  on  the  very  first  step  of 
the  stairs  stood  Sir  Eric,  who  was  too  anxious 
for  the  success  of  the  attempt  to  escape,  to  be 
very  far  off.  Kichard,  too  angry  to  heed  where 
he  was  going,  dashed  up  against  him  without 
seeing  him,  and  as  the  old  Baron  took  hold  of 
him,  began,  "  Sir  Eric,  Sir  Eric,  those  French 
are  villains  !  they  will  not  let  me  pass — " 

"Hush,  hush,  my  Lord/'  said  Sir  Eric, 
"  Silence  !  come  here." 

However  imperious  with  others,  Kichard  from 
force  of  habit  always  obeyed  Sir  Eric,  and  now 
allowed  himself  to  be  dragged  hastily  and  si- 
lently by  him,  Osmond  following  closely  up  the 
stairs,  up  a  second  and  a  third  winding  flight, 
still  narrower,  and  with  broken  steps,  to  a  small 
round  thick-walled  turret  chamber,  with  an  ex- 
tremely small  door,  and  loopholes  of  windows, 
high  up  in  the  tower.  Here,  to  his  great  sur- 
prise, he  found  Dame  Astrida,  kneeling  and 
telling  her  beads,  two  or  three  of  her  maidens, 
and  about  four  of  the  Norman  squires  and  men- 
at-arms. 

"  So  you  have  failed,  Osmond  ?  "  said  the 
Baron. 


78  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  But  what  is  all  this  ?  How  did  Fru  As- 
trida  come  up  here  ?  May  I  not  go  to  the 
King,  and  have  all  those  insolent  Franks 
punished  ?  " 

"  Listen  to  me,  Lord  Richard,"  said  Sir 
Eric,  "  that  smooth-spoken  King  whose  words 
so  charmed  you  last  night  is  an  ungrateful  de- 
ceiver. The  Franks  have  always  hated  and 
feared  the  Normans,  and  not  being  able  to  con- 
quer us  fairly,  they  now  take  to  foul  means. 
Louis  came  hither  from  Flanders,  he  has  brought 
this  great  troop  of  French  to  surprise  us,  claim 
you  as  a  ward  of  the  crown,  and  carry  you  away 
with  him  to  some  prison  of  his  own." 

"  You  will  not  let  me  go/'  said  Kichard. 

"  Not  while  I  live,"  said  Sir  Eric.  "  Alberic 
is  gone  to  warn  the  Count  of  Harcourt,  to  call 
the  Normans  together,  and  here  we  are  ready  to 
defend  this  chamber  to  our  last  breath,  but  we 
are  few,  the  French  are  many,  and  succour  may 
be  far  off." 

"  Then  you  meant  to  have  taken  me  out  of 
their  reach  this  morning,  Osmond  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  Lord." 

"  And  if  I  had  not  flown  into  a  passion  and 
told  who  I  was,  I  might  have  been  safe  !     0 


- 

THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  79 

Sir  Eric  !  Sir  Eric !  you  will  not  let  me  be 
carried  off  to  a  French  prison  !  " 

"  Here,  my  child,"  said  Dame  Astrida,  hold- 
ing out  her  arms,  "  Sir  Eric  will  do  all  he  can 
for  you,  but  we  are  in  God's  hands  !  " 

Kichard  came  and  leant  against  her.  "  I 
wish  I  had  not  been  in  a  passion  !  "  said  he 
sadly,  after  a  silence,  then  looking  at  her  in 
wonder.     "  But  how  came  you  up  all  this  way  ?  " 

"It  is  a  long  way  for  my  old  limbs,"  said 
Fru  Astrida,  smiling,  "  but  my  son  helped  me, 
and  he  deems  it  the  only  safe  place  in  the 
castle." 

"  The  safest,"  said  Sir  Eric,  "  and  that  is 
not  saying  much  for  it." 

"  Hark  !  "  said  Osmond,  "  what  a  tramping 
the  Franks  are  making.  They  are  beginning  to 
wonder  where  the  Duke  is." 

"  To  the  stairs,  Osmond,"  said  Sir  Eric. 
"  On  that  narrow  step  one  man  may  keep  them 
at  bay  a  long  time.  You  can  speak  their  jargon 
too,  and  hold  parley  with  them." 

"  Perhaps  they  will  think  I  am  gone," 
whispered  Kichard,  "if  they  cannot  find  me, 
and  go  away." 

Osmond  and  two  of  the  Normans  were,  as 
he  spoke,  taking  their  stand  on  the  narrow  spiral 


80  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

- 

stair,  where  there  was  just  room  for  one  man 
on  the  step ;  Osmond  was  the  lowest,  the 
other  two  above  him,  and  it  would  have  been 
very  hard  for  an  enemy  to  force  his  way  past 
them. 

Osmond  could  plainly  hear  the  sounds  of 
the  steps  and  voices  of  the  French  as  they  con- 
sulted together,  and  sought  for  the  Duke.  A 
man  at  length  was  heard  clanking  up  these  very 
stairs,  till  winding  round,  he  suddenly  found 
himself  close  upon  young  de  Centeville. 

"  Ha  !  Norman  !  "  he  cried,  starting  back 
in  amazement,  "  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

"  My  duty,"  answered  Osmond,  shortly,  "  I 
am  here  to  guard  this  stair ; "  and  his  drawn 
sword  expressed  the  same  intention. 

The  Frenchman  drew  back,  and  presently  a 
whispering  below  was  heard,  and  soon  after  a 
voice  came  up  the  stairs,  saying,  "Norman — 
good  Norman" — 

"  What  would  you  say  ?  "  replied  Osmond, 
and  the  head  of  another  Frank  appeared. 
"  What  means  all  this,  my  friend  ?  "  was  the 
address.  "  Our  King  comes  as  a  guest  to  you, 
and  you  received  him  last  night  as  loyal  vassals. 
Wherefore  have  you  now  drawn  out  of  the  way, 
and  striven  to  bear  off  your  young  Duke  into 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE  81 

secret  places  ?  Truly  it  looks  not  well  that  you 
should  thus  strive  to  keep  him  apart,  and  there- 
fore the  King  requires  to  see  him  instantly." 

"  Sir  Frenchman/'  replied  Osmond,  "  your 
King  claims  the  Duke  as  his  ward.  How  that 
may  be  my  father  knows  not,  but  as  he  was 
committed  to  his  charge  by  the  states  of  Nor- 
mandy, he  holds  himself  bound  to  keep  him  in 
his  own  hands  until  further  orders  from  them." 

"  That  means,  insolent  Norman,  that  you 
intend  to  shut  the  boy  up  and  keep  him  in 
your  own  rebel  hands.  You  had  best  yield,  it 
will  be  the  better  for  you  and  for  him.  The 
child  is  the  King's  ward,  and  he  shall  not  be  left 
to  be  nurtured  in  rebellion  by  northern  pirates." 

At  this  moment  a  cry  from  without  arose, 
so  loud  as  almost  to  drown  the  voices  of  the 
speakers  on  the  turret  stair,  a  cry  welcome  to 
the  ears  of  Osmond,  repeated  by  a  multitude 
of  voices,  "  Haro  !  Haro  !  our  little  Duke  !  " 

It  was  well  known  as  a  Norman  shout.  So 
just  and  so  ready  to  redress  all  grievances  had 
the  old  Duke  Hollo  been,  that  his  very  name 
was  an  appeal  against  injustice,  and  whenever 
wrong  was  done,  the  Norman  outcry  against  the 
injury  was  always  "Ha  Hollo  ! "  or  as  it  had 

become  shortened,  "  Haro."     And  now  Osmond 

4* 


82  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

knew  that  those,  whose  affection  had  been  won 
by  the  uprightness  of  Rollo,  were  gathering  to 
protect  his  helpless  grandchild. 

The  cry  was  likewise  heard  by  the  little 
garrison  in  the  turret  chamber,  bringing  hope 
and  joy.  Kichard  thought  himself  already  res- 
cued, and  springing  from  Fru  Astrida,  danced 
about  in  ecstacy,  only  longing  to  see  the  faithful 
Normans,  whose  voices  he  heard  ringing  out 
again  and  again,  in  calls  for  their  little  Duke, 
and  outcries  against  the  Franks.  The  windows 
were  however  so  high,  that  nothing  could  be 
seen  from  them  but  the  sky  ;  and,  like  Richard, 
the  old  Baron  de  Centeville  wTas  almost  beside 
himself  with  anxiety  to  know  what  force  was 
gathered  together,  and  what  measures  were 
being  taken.  He  opened  the  door,  called  to  his 
son,  and  asked  if  he  could  tell  what  was  passing, 
but  Osmond  knew  as  little,  he  could  see  nothing 
but  the  black,  cobwebbed,  dusty  steps  winding 
above  his  head,  while  the  clamours  outside, 
waxing  fiercer  and  louder,  drowned  all  the  sounds 
which  might  otherwise  have  come  up  to  him 
from  the  French  within  the  castle.  At  last, 
however,  Osmond  called  out  to  his  father,  in 
Norse,  "  There  is  a  Frank  Baron  come  to  en- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  83 

treat,  and  this  time  very  humbly,  that  the 
I) uke  may  come  to  the  King." 

"  Tell  him,"  replied  Sir  Eric,  "  that  save 
with  consent  of  the  council  of  Normandy,  the 
child  leaves  not  my  hands." 

"  He  says,"  called  back  Osmond,  after  a 
moment,  "  that  you  shall  guard  him  yourself, 
with  as  many  as  you  choose  to  bring  with  you. 
He  declares  on  the  faith  of  a  free  Baron  that 
the  King  has  no  thought  of  ill— he  wants  to 
show  him  to  the  Kouennais  without,  who  are 
calling  for  him,  and  threaten  to  tear  down  the 
tower  rather  than  not  see  their  little  Duke. 
Shall  I  bid  him  send  a  hostage  ?  " 

"Answer  him,"  returned  the  Baron,  "that 
the  Duke  leaves  not  this  chamber  unless  a  pledge 
is  put  into  our  hands  for  his  safety.  There  was 
an  oily-tongued  Count,  who  sat  next  the  King 
at  supper — let  him  come  hither,  and  then  per- 
chance I  may  trust  the  Duke  among  them." 

Osmond  gave  the  desired  reply,  which  was 
carried  to  the  King.  Meantime  the  uproar  out- 
side grew  louder  than  ever,  and  there  were  new 
sounds,  a  horn  was  winded,  and  there  was  a 
shout  of  "  Dieu  Aide"  the  Norman  war-cry, 
joined  with  "  Notre  Dame  de  Harcourt  ! " 

"  There,  there  !  "  cried  Sir  Eric,  with  a  long 


84  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

breath,  as  if  relieved  of  half  his  anxieties,  "the 
boy  has  sped  well.  Bernard  is  here  at  last ! 
now  his  head  and  hand  are  there,  I  doubt  no 
longer." 

"  Here  comes  the  Count/'  said  Osmond, 
opening  the  door,  and  admitting  a  stout  burly 
man,  who  seemed  sorely  out  of  breath  with  the 
ascent  of  the  steep  broken  stair,  and  very  little 
pleased  to  find  himself  in  such  a  situation. 
The  Baron  de  Centeville  augured  well  from  the 
speed  with  which  he  had  been  sent,  thinking  it 
proved  great  perplexity  and  distress  on  the  part 
of  Louis.  Without  waiting  to  hear  his  hostage 
speak,  he  pointed  to  a  chest  on  which  he  had 
been  sitting,  and  bade  two  of  his  men-at-arms 
stand  on  each  side  of  the  Count,  saying  at  the 
same  time  to  Fru  Astrida,  "  Now,  mother,  if 
aught  of  evil  befall  the  child,  you  know  your 
part.     Come,  Lord  Kichard." 

Bichard  moved  forward,  Sir  Eric  held  his 
hand,  Osmond  kept  close  behind  him,  and  with 
as  many  of  the  men-at-arms  as  could  be  spared 
from  guarding  Fru  Astrida  and  her  hostage,  he 
descended  the  stairs,  not  by  any  means  sorry  to 
go,  for  he  was  weary  of  being  besieged  in  that 
turret  chamber,  whence  he  could  see  nothing, 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  85 

and  with  those  friendly  cries  in  his  ears,  he  could 
not  be  afraid. 

He  was  conducted  to  the  large  council-room, 
which  was  above  the  hall.  There  the  King  was 
walking  up  and  down  anxiously,  looking  paler 
than  his  wont,  and  no  wonder,  for  the  uproar 
sounded  tremendous  there,  and  now  and  then 
a  stone  dashed  against  the  sides  of  the  deep 
window. 

Nearly  at  the  same  moment  as  Richard 
entered  by  one  door,  Count  Bernard  de  Harcourt 
came  in  from  the  other,  and  there  was  a  slight 
lull  in  the  tumult. 

"  What  means  this,  my  Lords  ?  •"  exclaimed 
the  King,  "  here  am  I  come  in  all  good  will,  in 
memory  of  my  warm  friendship  with  Duke 
William,  to  take  on  me  the  care  of  his  orphan, 
and  hold  council  with  you  for  avenging  his  death, 
and  is  this  the  greeting  you  afford  me  ?  You 
steal  away  the  child,  and  stir  up  the  rascaille  of 
Rouen  against  me.  Is  this  the  reception  for 
your  King  ?  " 

"  Sir  King/'  replied  Bernard,  "  what  your 
intentions  may  be,  I  know  not.  All  I  do  know 
is,  that  the  burghers  of  Rouen  are  fiercely  in- 
censed against  you,  so  much  so,  that  they  were 
almost   ready  to   tear  me  to  pieces  for  being 


86  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

absent  at  this  juncture.  They  say  that  you  are 
keeping  the  child  prisoner  in  his  own  castle,  and 
that  they  will  have  him  restored,  if  they  tear  it 
down  to  the  foundations." 

"  You  are  a  true  man,  a  loyal  man,  you  un- 
derst  and  my  good  intentions/'  said  Louis,  trem- 
bling, for  the  Normans  were  extremely  dreaded. 
"  You  would  not  bring  the  shame  of  rebellion  on 
your  town  and  people.  Advise  me — I  will  do  just 
as  you  council  me,  how  shall  I  appease  them  ?  " 

"  Take  the  child,  lead  him  to  the  window, 
swear  that  you  mean  him  no  evil,  that  you  will 
not  take  him  from  us,"  said  Bernard.  "  Swear 
it  on  the  faith  of  a  King." 

"  As  a  King — as  a  Christian,  it  is  true  !  " 
said  Louis.  "  Here,  my  boy.  Wherefore  shrink 
from  me  ?  What  have  I  done  that  you  should 
fear  me  ?  You  have  been  listening  to  evil  tales 
of  me,  my  child.     Come  hither." 

At  a  sign  from  the  Count  de  Harcourt,  Sir 
Eric  led  Eichard  forward,  and  put  his  hand  into 
the  King's.  Louis  took  him  to  the  window, 
lifted  him  upon  the  sill,  and  stood  there  with 
his  arm  round  him,  upon  which  the  shout, 
c'  Long  live  Eichard,  our  little  Duke  !  "  arose 
aoain.  Meantime  the  two  Centevilles  looked  in 
wonder  at  the  old  Harcourt,  who  shook  his  head, 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  87 

and  muttered  in  his  own  tongue,  "  I  will  do  all 
I  may,  but  our  force  is  small,  and  the  King  has 
the  best  of  it.  We  must  not  yet  bring  a  war 
on  ourselves/' 

"  Hark !  he  is  going  to  speak,"  said  Osmond. 

"  Fair  Sirs — excellent  burgesses/'  began  the 
King,  as  the  cries  lulled  a  little.11  "  I  rejoice  to 
see  the  love  ye  bear  to  your  young  prince — I 
would  all  my  subjects  were  equally  loyal.  But 
wherefore  dread  me  as  if  were  come  to  injure 
him  ?  I,  who  came  but  to  take  council  how  to 
avenge  the  death  of  his  father,  who  brought  me 
back  from  England  when  I  was  a  friendless  exile. 
Know  ye  not  how  deep  is  the  debt  of  gratitude 
I  owe  to  Duke  William  ?  He  it  was  who  made 
me  King,  it  was  he  who  gained  me  the  love  of 
the  King  of  Germany  ;  he  stood  godfather  for 
my  son,  to  him  I  owe  all  my  wealth  and  state, 
and  all  my  care  is  to  render  guerdon  for  it  to 
his  child,  since,  alas  !  I  may  not  to  himself ! 
Duke  William  rests  in  his  bloody  grave,  it  is 
for  me  to  call  his  murderers  to  account,  and  to 
cherish  his  son  even  as  mine  own ! " 

So  saying,  Louis  tenderly  embraced  the 
little  boy,  and  the  Rouennais  below  broke  out 
into  another  cry,  in  which  "  Long  live  King 
Louis/'  was  joined  with  "  Long  live  Richard." 


88  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  You  will  not  let  the  child  go/'  said  Erie, 
meanwhile  to  Harcourt. 

"Not  without  provision  for  his  safety,  but 
we  are  not  fit  for  war  as  yet,  and  to  let  him  go 
is  the  only  means  of  warding  it  off/' 

Eric  groaned  and  shook  his  head  ;  but  the 
Count  de  Harcourt's  judgment  was  of  such 
weight  with  him,  that  he  never  dreamt  of  dis- 
puting it. 

"  Bring  me  here,"  said  the  King,  "  all  that 
you  deem  most  holy,  and  you  shall  see  me 
pledge  myself  to  be  your  Duke's  most  faithful 
friend. " 

There  was  some  delay,  during  which  the 
Norman  nobles  had  time  for  further  council 
together,  and  Kichard  looked  wistfully  at  them, 
wondering  what  was  to  happen  to  him,  and 
wishing  he  could  venture  to  ask  for  Alberic. 

Several  of  the  clergy  of  the  cathedral  pres- 
ently appeared  in  procession,  bringing  with  them 
the  book  of  the  Gospels  on  which  Richard  had 
taken  his  installation  oath,  with  others  of  the 
sacred  treasures  of  the  Church,  preserved  in  gold 
cases.  The  priests  were  followed  by  a  few  of 
the  Norman  knights  and  nobles,  some  of  the  bur- 
gesses of  Rouen,  and  to  Richard's  great  joy,  by 
Alberic  de  Montemar  himself.     The   two  boys 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  89 

stood  looking  eagerly  at  each  other,  while  prepara- 
tion was  made  for  the  ceremony  of  the  King's  oath. 

The  stone  table  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
was  cleared  and  arranged  so  as  in  some  degree 
to  resemble  the  Altar  in  the  cathedral,  then  the 
Count  de  Harcourt,  standing  before  it,  and  hold- 
ing the  King's  hand,  demanded  of  him  whether 
he  would  undertake  to  be  the  friend,  protector, 
and  good  lord  of  Eichard  Duke  of  Normandy, 
guarding  liim  from  all  his  enemies,  and  ever  seek- 
ing his  welfare.  Louis,  with  his  hand  on  the 
Gospels,  "  swore  that  so  he  would  ! " 

"  Amen  !  "  returned  Bernard  the  Dane,  sol- 
emnly, "  and  as  thou  keepest  that  oath,  to  the 
fatherless  child,  so  may  the  Lord  do  unto  thine 
house  !  " 

Then  followed  the  ceremony  which  had  been 
interrupted  the  night  before,  of  the  homage  and 
oath  of  allegiance  which  Kichard  owed  to  the 
King,  and  on  the  other  hand  the  King's  formal 
reception  of  him  as  a  vassal  holding  under  him 
the  two  dukedoms  of  Normandy  and  Brittany. 
"  And,"said  the  King,  raising  him  in  his  arms 
and  kissing  him,  "  no  dearer  vassal  do  I  hold 
in  all  my  realm  than  this  fair  child,  son  of  my 
murdered  friend  and  benefactor — precious  to  me 


90  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

as  my  own  children,  as  soon  my  Queen  and  I  hope 
to  testify." 

Richard  did  not  much  like  all  this  embracing  ; 
but  he  was  sure  the  King  really  meant  him  no 
ill,  and  he  wondered  at  all  the  distrust  the  Cen- 
tevilles  had  shown. 

"  Now,  brave  Normans,"  said  the  King,  "  be 
ye  ready  speedily,  for  an  onset  on  the  traitor 
Fleming.  The  cause  of  my  ward  is  my  own 
cause.  Soon  shall  the  trumpet  be  soltnded,  the 
ban  and  arriere  ban  of  the  realm  be  called  forth, 
and  Arnulf,  in  the  flames  of  his  cities,  and  the 
blood  of  his  vassals,  shall  learn  to  rue  the  day 
when  his  foot  trod  the  isle  of  Pecquigny  !  How 
many  Normans  can  you  bring  to  the  muster,  Sir 
Count  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  say,  within  a  few  hundreds  of  lan- 
ces, replied  the  old  Dane,  cautiously  ;  "  it  de- 
pends on  the  numbers  that  may  be  engaged  in 
the  Italian  war  with  the  Saracens,  but  of  this  be 
sure,  Sir  King,  that  every  man  in  Normandy  and 
Brittany  who  can  draw  a  sword,  or  bend  a  bow, 
will  stand  forth  in  the  cause  of  our  little  Duke  ; 
aye,  and  that  his  blessed  father's  memory  is  held 
so  dear  in  our  northern  home,  that  it  needs  but 
a  message  to  King  Harald  Blue-tooth  to  bring 
a  fleet  of  long  keels  into  the  Seine  with  stout 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE,  91 

Danes  enough  to  carry  fire  and  sword,  not  merely 
through  Flanders,  but  through  all  France.  We 
of  the  north  are  not  apt  to  forget  old  friendships 
and  favours,  Sir  King." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know  the  Norman  faith  of  old," 
returned  Louis,  uneasily,  "  but  we  should  scarcely 
need  such  wild  allies  as  you  propose  ;  the  Count 
of  Paris,  and  Hubert  of  Senlis  may  be  reckoned 
on,  I  suppose." 

"  No  truer  friend  to  Normandy  than  gallant 
and  wise  old  Hugh  the  White  !  '*  said  Bernard, 
"  and  as  to  Senlis,  he  is  uncle  to  the  boy,  and 
doubly  bound  to  us." 

"  I  rejoice  to  see  your  confidence,"  said 
Louis.  "  You  shall  soon  hear  from  me.  In  the 
mean  time  I  must  return  to  gather  my  force 
together,  and  summon  my  great  vassals,  and  I 
will,  with  your  leave,  brave  Normans,  take  with 
me  my  dear  young  ward.  His  presence  will 
plead  better  in  his  cause  than  the  finest  words, 
moreover  he  will  grow  up  in  love  and  friendship 
with  my  two  boys,  and  shall  be  nurtured  with 
them  in  all  good  learning  and  chivalry,  nor  shall 
he  ever  be  reminded  that  he  is  an  orphan  while 
under  the  care  of  Queen  G-erberge  and  myself." 

"  Let  the  child  come  to  me,  so  please  you, 
my  Lord  the  King,"  answered  Harcourt,  bluntly, 


92  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  I  must  hold  some  converse  with  him  ere  I  can 
reply." 

"  Go  then,  Richard,"  said  Louis,  "go  to 
your  trusty  vassal — happy  are  you  in  possessing 
such  a  friend  ;  I  hope  you  know  his  value." 

"  Here  then,  young  sir,"  said  the  Count,  in 
his  native  tongue,  when  Richard  had  crossed 
from  the  King's  side,  and  stood  beside  him, 
"  what  say  you  to  this  proposal  ?  " 

"  The  King  is  very  kind,"  said  Richard,  "  I 
am  sure  he  is  kind  ;  but  I  do  not  like  to  go 
from  Rouen,  or  from  Dame  Astrida." 

"  Listen  my  Lord,"  said  the  Dane,  stooping 
down  and  speaking  low.  ( '  The  King  is  resolved 
to  have  you  away  ;  he  has  with  him  the  best  of 
his  Franks,  and  has  so  taken  us  at  unawares, 
that  though  I  might  yet  rescue  you  from  his 
hands,  it  would  not  be  without  a  fierce  struggle, 
wherein  you  might  be  harmed,  and  this  castle 
and  town  burnt,  and  wrested  from  us.  A  few 
weeks  or  months,  and  we  shall  have  time  to 
draw  our  force  together,  so  that  Normandy  need 
fear  no  man,  and  for  that  time  you  must  tarry 
with  him." 

"  Must  I— and  all  alone  ?  " 

"  No,  not  alone,  not  without  the  most  trusty 
guardian  that  can  be  found  for  you.      Friend 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  93 

Eric,  what  say  you  ?  "  and  he  laid  his  hand  on 
the  old  Baron's  shoulder.  "  Yet  I  know  not  ; 
true  thou  art  as  a  Norwegian  mountain,  but  I 
doubt  me  if  thy  brains  are  not  too  dull  to  see 
through  the  French  wiles  and  disguises,  sharp 
as  thou  didst  show  thyself  last  night/' 

"  That  was  Osmond,  not  I,"  said  Sir  Eric. 
"  He  knows  their  mincing  tongue  better  than  I. 
He  were  the  best  to  go  with  the  poor  child,  if 
go  he  must." 

"  Bethink  you,  Eric,"  said  the  Count,  in  an 
under  tone,  "  Osmond  is  the  only  hope  of  your 
good  old  house  ; — if  there  is  foul  play,  the 
guardian  will  be  the  first  to  suffer." 

"  Since  you  think  fit  to  peril  the  only  hope 
of  all  Normandy,  I  am  not  the  man  to  hold 
back  my  son  where  he  may  aid  him,"  said  old 
Eric,  sadly.  "  The  poor  child  will  be  lonely  and 
uncared-for  there,  and  it  were  hard  he  should 
not  have  one  faithful  comrade  and  friend  with 
him." 

"  It  is  well,"  said  Bernard,  "  young  as  he  is, 
I  had  rather  trust  Osmond  with  the  child  than 
any  one  else,  for  he  is  ready  of  council,  and 
quick  of  hand." 

"  Aye,  and  a  pretty  pass  it  is  come  to,"  mut- 
tered old  Centeville,  "  that  we,  whose  business 


94  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

• 

it  is  to  guard  the  boy,  should  send  him  where 
you  scarcely  like  to  trust  my  son." 

Bernard  paid  no  further  attention  to  him, 
but  coming  forward,  required  another  oath  from 
the  King,  that  Kichard  should  be  as  safe  and 
free  at  his  court  as  at  Kouen,  and  that  on  no 
pretence  whatsoever  should  he  be  taken  from 
under  the  immediate  care  of  his  esquire,  Osmond 
Fitz  Eric,  heir  of  Centeville. 

After  this,  the  King  was  impatient  to  dejDart, 
and  all  was  preparation.  Bernard  called  Osmond 
aside  to  give  him  full  instructions  on  his  conduct, 
and  the  means  of  communicating  with  Nor- 
mandy, and  Kichard  was  taking  leave  of  Fru 
Astrida,  who  had  now  descended  from  her  turret, 
bringing  her  hostage  with  her.  She  wept  much 
over  her  little  Duke,  praying  that  he  might 
safely  be  restored  to  Normandy,  even  though 
she  might  not  live  to  see  it ;  she  exhorted  him 
not  to  forget  the  good  and  holy  learning  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up,  to  rule  his  temper,  and, 
above  all,  to  say  his  prayers  constantly,  never 
leaving  out  one,  as  the  beads  of  his  rosary  re- 
minded him  of  their  order.  As  to  her  own 
grandson,  anxiety  for  him  seemed  almost  lost  in 
her  fears  for  Richard,  and  the  chief  things  she 
said  to  him,  when  he  came  to  take  leave  of  her, 
were  directions  as  to  the  care  he  was  to  take  of 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  95 

the  child,  telling  him  the  honour  he  now  received, 
was  one  which  would  make  his  name  for  ever 
esteemed  if  he  did  but  fulfil  his  trust,  the  most 
precious  that  Norman  had  ever  yet  received. 

"  I  will,  grandmother,  to  the  very  best  of 
my  powers,"  said  Osmond  :  "I  may  die  in  his 
cause,  but  never  will  I  be  faithless  !  " 

"  Alberic  !  "  said  Kichard,  "  are  you  glad  to 
be  going  back  to  Montemar  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  Lord/'  answered  Alberic,  sturdily, 
"  as  glad  as  you  will  to  be  come  back  to  Kouen." 

"  Then  I  shall  send  for  you  directly,  Alberic, 
for  I  shall  never  love  the  Princes  Carloman  and 
Lothaire  half  as  well  as  you  !  " 

"  My  Lord  the  King  is  waiting  for  the 
Duke,"  said  a  Frenchman,  coming  forward. 

"  Farewell  then,  Fru  Astrida.  Do  not  weep. 
I  shall  soon  come  back.  Farewell,  Alberic. 
Take  the  bar-tailed  falcon  back  to  Montemar, 
and  keep  him  for  my  sake.  Farewell,  Sir  Eric — 
Farewell  Count  Bernard.  When  the  Normans 
come  to  conquer  Arnulf,  you  will  lead  them. 
0  dear,  dear  Fru  Astrida,  farewell  again." 

"  Farewell,  my  own  darling.  The  blessing 
of  Heaven  go  with  you,  and  bring  you  safe 
home  !  Farewell,  Osmond,  Heaven  guard  you, 
and  strengthen  you  to  be  his  shield  and  defence ! " 


fflfc  -".. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Away  from  the  tall  narrow  gateway  of 
Rollo's  Tower,  with  the  cluster  of  friendly  sor- 
rowful faces  looking  forth  from  it,  away  from 
the  booth-like  shops  of  Rouen,  and  the  stout 
burghers  shouting  with  all  the  power  of  their 
lungs,  "  Long  live  Duke  Richard  !  Long  live 
King  Louis  !  Death  to  the  Fleming  !  " — away 
from  the  broad  Seine — away  from  home  and 
friends  rode  the  young  Duke  of  Normandy,  by 
the  side  of  the  palfrey  of  the  King  of  France. 

The  King  took  much  notice  of  him,  kept 
him  bv  his  side,  talked  to  him,  admired  the 
beautiful  cattle  grazing  in  security  in  the  green 
pastures,  and  as  he  looked  at  the  rich  dark 
brown  earth  of  the  fields,  the  castles  towering 
above  the  woods,  the  convents  looking  like  great 
farms,  the  many  villages  round  the  rude  church- 
es, and  the  numerous  population  who  came  out 
to  gaze   at  the  party,  and  repeat  the  cry  of, 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  97 

u  Long  live  the  King  !  Blessings  on  the  little 
Duke  !  "  he  told  Richard,  again  and  again,  that 
his  was  the  most  goodly  duchy  in  France,  and 
Germany  to  boot. 

When  they  crossed  the  Epte,  the  King 
would  have  Richard  in  the  same  boat  with  him, 
and  sitting  close  to  Louis,  and  talking  eagerly 
about  falcons  and  hounds,  the  little  Duke  passed 
the  boundary  of  his  own  dukedom. 

The  country  beyond  was  not  like  Normandy. 
First  they  came  to  a  great  forest,  which  seemed 
to  have  no  path  through  it.  The  King  ordered 
that  one  of  the  men,  who  had  rowed  them 
across,  should  be  made  to  serve  as  guide,  and  two 
of  the  men-at-arms  took  him  between  them, 
and  forced  him  to  lead  the  way,  while  others 
with  their  swords  and  battle-axes,  cut  down  and 
cleared  away  the  tangled  branches  and  briers 
that  nearly  choked  the  path.  All  the  time 
every  one  was  sharply  on  the  look-out  for  robbers, 
and  the  weapons  were  all  held  ready  for  use  at  a 
moment's  notice.  On  getting  beyond  the  forest, 
a  castle  rose  before  them,  and  though  it  was  not 
yet  late  in  the  day,  they  resolved  to  rest  there, 
as  a  marsh  lay  not  far  before  them,  which  it 
would  not  have  been  safe  to  traverse  in  the 
evening  twilight. 


98  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

The  Baron  of  the  castle  received  them  with 
great  respect  to  the  King,  but  without  paying 
much  attention  to  the  Duke  of  Normandy,  and 
Eichard  did  not  find  the  second  place  left  for 
him  at  the  board.  He  coloured  violently, 
and  looked  first  at  the  King,  and  then  at  Os- 
mond, but  Osmond  held  up  his  finger  in  warn- 
ing ;  he  remembered  how  he  had  lost  his  temper 
before,  and  what  had  come  of  it,  and  resolved 
to  try  to  bear  it  better  ;  and  just  then  the 
Baron's  daughter,  a  gentle-looking  maiden  of 
fifteen  or  sixteen,  came  and  spoke  to  him,  and 
entertained  him  so  well,  that  he  did  not  think 
much  more  of  his  offended  dignity. 

When  they  set  off  on  their  journey  again, 
the  Baron  and  several  of  his  followers  came  with 
them  to  show  the  only  safe  way  across  the 
morass,  and  a  very  slippery,  treacherous,  quaking 
road  it  was,  where  the  horses'  feet  left  pools  of 
water  wherever  they  trod.  The  King  and  the 
Baron  rode  together,  and  the  other  French 
nobles  closed  round  them ;  Kichard  was  left 
quite  in  the  back-ground,  and  though  the 
French  men-at-arms  took  care  not  to  lose  sight 
of  him,  no  one  offered  him  any  assistance,  ex- 
cepting Osmond,  who,  giving  his  own  horse  to 
Sibald,  one  of  the  two  Norman  grooms  who  ac- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  99 

companied  him,  led  Richard's  horse  by  the  bri- 
dle along  the  whole  distance  of  the  marshy  path, 
a  business  that  could  scarcely  have  been  pleas- 
ant, as  Osmond  wore  his  heavy  hauberk,  and  his 
pointed  iron-guarded  boots  sunk  deep  at  every 
step  into  the  bog.  He  spoke  little,  but  seemed 
to  be  taking  good  heed  of  every  stump  of  wil- 
low, or  stepping-stone,  that  might  serve  as  note 
of  remembrance  of  the  path. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  morass  began  a  long 
tract  of  dreary-looking  heathy  waste,  without  a 
sign  of  life.  The  Baron  took  leave  of  the  King, 
only  sending  three  men-at-arms  to  show  him 
the  way  to  a  monastery,  which  was  to  be  the 
next  halting  place.  He  sent  three,  because  it 
was  not  safe  for  one,  even  fully  armed,  to  ride 
alone,  for  fear  of  the  attacks  of  the  followers  of 
a  certain  marauding  Baron,  who  was  at  deadly 
feud  with  him,  and  made  all  that  border  a  most 
perilous  region.  Richard  might  well  observe 
that  he  did  not  like  the  Yexin  half  as  well  as 
Normandy,  and  that  the  people  ought  to  learn 
Fru  Astrida's  story  of  the  golden  bracelets, 
which  in  his  grandfather's  time  had  hung  un- 
touched for  a  year  in  a  tree  in  a  forest. 

It  was  pretty  much  the  same  through  the 
whole  journey,  waste  lands,  marshes,  and  forests 


100  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

alternated.  The  castles  stood  on  high  mounds, 
frowning  on  the  country  round,  and  villages 
were  clustered  round  them,  where  the  people 
either  tied  away,  driving  off  their  cattle  with 
them  at  the  first  sight  of  an  armed  band,  or 
else,  if  they  remained,  proved  to  be  thin  wretch- 
ed-looking creatures,  with  wasted  limbs,  aguish 
faces,  and  often  iron  collars  round  their  necks. 
Wherever  there  was  anything  of  more  prosperous 
appearance,  such  as  a  few  corn-fields,  vineyards 
on  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  fat  cattle,  and  peas- 
antry, looking  healthy  and  secure,  there  was  sure 
to  be  seen  a  range  of  long,  low  stone  buildings, 
surmounted  with  crosses,  with  a  short  square 
church  tower  rising  in  the  midst,  and  interspersed 
with  gnarled  hoary  old  apple-trees,  or  with  gar- 
dens of  pot-herbs  spreading  before  them  to  the 
meadows.  If,  instead  of  two  or  three  men-at- 
arms  from  a  castle,  or  of  some  trembling  serf 
pressed  into  the  service,  and  beaten,  threatened 
and  watched  to  prevent  treachery,  the  King 
asked  for  a  guide  at  a  convent,  some  lay  brother 
would  take  his  staff,  or  else  mount  an  ass,  and 
proceed  in  perfect  confidence  and  security  as  to 
his  return  homewards,  sure  that  his  poverty  and 
his    sacred  character  would  alike    protect   him 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  101 

from  any  outrage  from  the  most  lawless  marau- 
der of  the  neighbourhood. 

Thus  they  travelled  until  they  reached  the 
royal  castle  of  Laon,  where  the  Fleur-de-Lys 
standard  on  the  battlements  announced  the 
presence  of  Gerberge,  Queen  of  France,  and  her 
two  sons.  The  King  rode  first  into  the  court 
with  his  nobles,  and  before  Richard  could  follow 
him  through  the  narrow  arched  o-atewav,  he  had 
dismounted,  entered  the  castle,  and  was  out  of 
sight.  Osmond  held  the  Duke's  stirrup,  and 
followed  him  up  the  steps  which  led  to  the  Cas- 
tle Hall.  It  was  full  of  people,  but  no  one 
made  way,  and  Richard,  holding  his  squire's 
hand,  looked  up  in  'his  face,  inquiring  and  be- 
wildered. 

"  Sir  Seneschal,"  said  Osmond,  seeing  a 
broad  portly  old  man,  with  grey  hair  and  a  gold- 
en chain,  "this  is  the  Duke  of  Normandy — 
I  pray  you  conduct  him  to  the  King's  presence." 

Richard  had  no  longer  any  cause  to  com- 
plain of  neglect,  for  the  Seneschal  instantly 
made  him  a  very  low  bow,  and  calling  "  Place 
— place  for  the  high  and  mighty  prince,  my 
Lord  Duke  of  Normandy  ! "  ushered  him  up  to 
the  dais  or  raised  part  of  the  floor,  where  the 
King  and  Queen  stood  together  talking.     The 


102  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

Queen  looked  round,  as  Richard  was  announced, 
and  he  saw  her  face,  which  was  sallow,  and 
with  a  sharp  sour  expression  that  did  not  please 
him,  and  he  backed  and  looked  reluctant,  while 
Osmond,  with  a  warning  hand  pressed  on  his 
shoulder,  was  trying  to  remind  him  that  he 
ought  to  go  forward,  kneel  on  one  knee,  and  kiss 
her  hand. 

"  There  he  is,"  said  the  King. 

"  One  thing  secure  !  "  said  the  Queen  ;  "  but 
what  makes  that  northern  giant  keep  close  to 
his  heels  ?  " 

Louis  answered  something  in  a  low  voice, 
and,  in  the  meantime,  Osmond  tried  in  a  whisper 
to  induce  his  young  Lord  to  go  forward  and 
perform  his  obeisance. 

"  I  tell  you  I  will  not,"  said  Kichard.  "  She 
looks  cross;  and  I  do  not  like  her."  Luckily 
he  spoke  his  own  language  ;  but  his  look  and 
air  expressed  a  good  deal  of  what  he  said,  and 
Gerberge  looked  all  the  more  unattractive.  "  A 
thorough  little  Norwegian  bear,"  said  the  King, 
"  fierce  and  unruly  as  the  rest.  Come  and  per- 
form your  courtesy — do  you  forget  where  you 
are  ?  "  he  added,  sternly. 

Richard  bowed,  partly  because  Osmond  for- 
ced down  his  shoulder;    but  he  thought  of  old 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  103 

Rollo,  and  Charles  the  Simple,  and  his  proud 
heart  resolved  that  he  would  never  kiss  the  hand 
of  that  sour-looking  Queen.  It  was  a  determi- 
nation made  in  pride  and  defiance,  and  he  suf- 
fered for  it  afterwards,  but  no  more  passed  now, 
for  the  Queen  only  saw  in  his  behaviour  that  of 
an  unmannerly  young  Northman ;  and  though 
she  disliked  and  despised  him,  she  did  not  care 
enough  about  his  courtesy  to  insist  on  its  being 
paid.  She  sat  down,  and  so  did  the  King,  and 
they  went  on  talking ;  the  King  probably  tell- 
ing her  his  adventures  at  Rouen,  while  Richard 
stood  on  the  step  of  the  dais,  swelling  with  sul- 
len pride. 

Nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  passed  in 
this  manner,  when  the  servants  came  to  set  the 
tables  for  supper,  and  Richard,  in  spite  of  his 
indignant  looks,  was  forced  to  stand  aside.  He 
wondered  that  all  this  time  he  had  not  seen  the 
two  princes,  thinking  how  strange  he  should 
have  thought  it,  to  let  his  own  dear  father  be  in 
the  house  so  long  without  coming  to  welcome 
him.  At  last,  just  as  the  supper  had  been 
served  up,  a  side  door  opened,  and  the  Seneschal 
called,  "  Place  for  the  high  and  mighty  Princes, 
my  Lord  Lothaire,  and  my  Lord  Carloman ! " 
and  in  walked  two  boys,  one  about  the  same  age 


104  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

as  Richard,  the  other  rather  more  than  a  year 
younger.  They  were  both  thin,  pale,  sharp-fea- 
tured children,  and  Richard  drew  himself  up  to 
his  full  height  with  great  satisfaction,  at  being 
so  much  taller  than  Lothaire. 

They  came  up  ceremoniously  to  their  father 
and  kissed  his  hand,  while  he  kissed  their  fore- 
heads, and  then  said  to  them,  "  There  is  a  new 
playfellow  for  you." 

"  Is  that  the  little  Northman  ?  "  said  Car- 
loman,  turning  to  stare  at  Eichard  with  a  look 
of  curiosity,  while  Richard  in  his  turn  felt  con- 
siderably affronted  that  a  boy  so  much  less  than 
himself  should  call  him  little. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Queen,  "  your  father  has 
brought  him  home  with  him." 

Carloman  stepped  forward,  shyly  holding  out 
his  hand  to  the  stranger,  but  his  brother  pushed 
him  rudely  aside,  "  I  am  the  eldest ;  it  is  my 
business  to  be  first.  So,  young  Northman,  you 
are  come  here  for  us  to  play  with." 

Richard  was  too  much  amazed  at  being" 
spoken  to  in  this  imperious  way  to  make  any 
answer.  He  was  completely  taken  by  surprise, 
and  only  opened  his  great  blue  eyes  to  their  ut- 
most extent. 

"  Ha  !  why  don't  you  answer  ?     Don't  you 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  105 

hear  ?  Can  you  speak  only  your  own  heathen 
tongue  ?  "  continued  Lothaire. 

"  The  Norman  is  no  heathen  tongue  !  "  said 
Richard,  at  once  breaking  silence  in  a  loud 
voice.  "  We  are  as  good  Christians  as  you  are, 
aye,  and  better  too." 

"  Hush  !  hush  !  my  Lord  !  "  said  Osmond. 

"What  now,  Sir  Duke,"  again  interfered 
the  King,  in  an  angry  tone,  "  are  you  brawling 
already  ?  Time,  indeed,  I  should  take  you 
from  your  own  savage  court.  Sir  squire,  look  to 
it,  that  you  keep  your  charge  in  better  rule,  or 
I  shall  send  him  instantly  to  bed  supperless." 

"  My  Lord,  my  Lord,"  whispered  Osmond, 
"  see  you  not  that  you  are  bringing  discredit  on 
all  of  us  ?  " 

"  I  would  be  courteous  enough,  if  they 
would  be  courteous  to  me,"  returned  Richard, 
gazing  with  eyes  full  of  defiance  at  Lothaire, 
who,  returning  an  angry  look,  had  nevertheless 
shrunk  back  to  his  mother.  She  meanwhile  was 
saying,  "  So  strong,  so  rough  the  young  savage  is, 
he  will  surely  harm  our  poor  boys  !  " 

"  Never  fear,"  said  Louis,  "he  shall  be 
watched.  And,"  he  added  in  a  lower  tone, 
"  for  the  present  at  least,  we  must  keep  up  ap- 
pearances.   Hubert  of  Senlis,  and  Hugh  of  Paris 


106  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

have  their  eyes  on  us,  and  were  the  boy  to  be 
missed,  the  grim  old  Harcourt  would  have  all  the 
pirates  of  his  land  on  us  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  We  have  him,  and  there  we  must  rest 
content  for  the  present.     Now  to  supper/' 

At  supper  Kichard  sat  next  little  Carloman, 
who  peeped  at  him  every  now  and  then  from 
under  his  eyelashes,  as  if  he  was  afraid  of  him ; 
and  presently,  when  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
talking  going  on,  so  that  his  voice  could  not  be 
heard,  half  whispered  in  a  very  grave  tone,  "  Do 
you  like  salt  beef  or  fresh  ?  " 

"  I  like  fresh,"  answered  Kichard,  with  equal 
gravity,  "  only  we  eat  salt  all  the  winter." 

There  was  another  silence,  and  then  Carlo  - 
man,  with  the  same  solemnity,  asked,  "How 
old  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  nine  on  the  eve  of  St.  Boniface. 
How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  Eight.  I  was  eight  at  Martinmas,  and 
Lothaire  was  nine  three  days  since/' 

Another  silence,  then  as  Osmond  waited  on 
Kichard,  Carloman  returned  to  the  charge,  "  Is 
that  your  squire  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  Osmond  de  Centeville/' 

"  How  tall  he  is  ! " 

"  We  Normans  are  taller  than  you  French." 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  107 

"  Don't  say  so  to  Lothaire,  or  you  will  make 
him  angry." 

"  Why  !  it  is  true." 

"  Yes,  but,"  and  Carloman  sunk  his  voice, 
"  there  are  some  things  which  Lothaire  will  not 
hear  said.  Do  not  make  him  cross,  or  he  will 
make  my  mother  displeased  with  you.  She 
caused  Thierry  de  Lincourt  to  be  scourged,  be- 
cause his  ball  hit  Lothaire' s  face." 

"  She  cannot  scourge  me,  I  am  a  free  Duke," 
said  Kichard.  "  But  why  ?  Did  he  do  it  on 
purpose  ?  " 

"Oh!  no." 

"  And  was  Lothaire  hurt  ?  " 

"  Hush  !  you  must  say  Prince  Lothaire.  No, 
it  was  quite  a  soft  ball." 

"  Why  ?  "  again  asked  Richard,  "  why  was 
he  scourged  ?  " 

"  I  told  you,  because  he  hit  Lothaire." 

"  Well,  but  did  he  not  laugh,  and  say  it  was 
nothing  ?  Alberic  quite  knocked  me  down  with 
a  great  snowball  the  other  day,  and  Sir  Eric 
laughed,  and  said  I  must  stand  firmer." 

"  Do  you  make  snow-balls  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  I  do.     Do  not  you  ?  " 
0  !  no,  the  snow  is  so  cold." 
Ah  !  you  are  but  a  little  boy,"  said  Richard 


tc 
a 


108  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

in  a  superior  manner.  Carloman  asked  how  it 
was  done  ;  and  Richard  gave  an  animated  de- 
scription of  the  snow-balling,  a  fortnight  ago  at 
Rouen,  when  Osmond  and  some  of  the  other 
young  men  built  a  snow  fortress,  and  defended 
it  against  Richard,  Alberic,  and  the  other  squires. 
Carloman  listened  with  delight,  and  declared 
that  next  time  it  snowed,  they  would  have  a 
snow  castle  ;  and  thus  by  the  time  the  supper 
was  over,  the  two  little  boys  were  very  good 
friends. 

Bed  time  came  not  long  after  supper.  Rich- 
ard's was  a  smaller  room  than  he  had  been  used 
to  at  Rouen ;  but  it  amazed  him  exceedingly 
when  he  first  went  into  it  ;  he  stood  gazing  in 
wonder,  because,  as  he  said,  "  it  was  as  if  he  had 
been  in  a  Church." 

"  Yes,  truly  ! ;;  said  Osmond,  "  no  wonder 
these  poor  creatures  of  French  cannot  stand  before 
a  Norman  lance,  if  they  cannot  sleep  without 
glass  to  their  windows.  Well,  what  would  my 
father  say  to  this  !  " 

"  And  see  !  see  !  Osmond,  they  have  put 
hangings  up  all  round  the  walls,  just  like  our 
Lady's  Church  on  a  great  feast-day.  They  treat 
us  just  as  if  we  were  the  holy  saints,  and  here 
are  fresh  rushes  strewn  about  the  floor  too.     This 


THE   LITTLE   DUKE.  109 

must  be  a  mistake,  it  must  be  an  oratory  instead 
of  my  chamber." 

"  No,  no,  my  Lord,  here  is  our  gear,  which  I 
hade  Sybald  and  Henry  see  bestowed  in  our 
chamber.  Well,  these  Franks  are  come  to  a  pass 
indeed  !  my  grandmother  will  never  believe  what 
we  shall  have  to  tell  her.  Glass  windows  and 
hangings  to  sleeping  chambers  !  I  do  not  like 
it — I  am  sure  we  shall  never  be  able  to  sleep, 
closed  up  from  the  free  air  of  heaven  in  this  way  ; 
I  shall  be  always  waking,  and  fancying  I  am  in 
the  Chapel  at  home,  hearing  Father  Lucas  chant- 
ing his  matins.  Besides,  my  father  would  blame 
me  for  letting  you  be  made  as  tender  as  a 
Frank.  I'll  have  out  this  precious  window  if  I 
can. " 

Luxurious  as  the  young  Norman  thought 
the  King,  the  glazing  of  Laon  was  not  permanent  ; 
it  consisted  of  casements,  which  could  be  put  up 
or  removed  at  pleasure,  for  as  the  court  possessed 
only  one  set  of  glass  windows,  they  were  taken 
down  and  carried  from  place  to  place,  as  often  as 
Louis  removed  from  Kheims  to  Soissons,  Laon, 
or  any  of  his  other  royal  castles  ;  so  that  Osmond 
did  not  find  much  difficulty  in  displacing  them, 
and  letting  in  the  sharp  cold  wintry  breeze.  The 
next  thing  he  did  was  to  give  his  young  lord  a 


110  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

lecture  on  his  want  of  courtesy,  telling  him  "  that 
no  wonder  the  Franks  thought  he  had  no  more 
culture  than  a  Viking  (or  pirate),  fresh  caught 
from  Norway.  A  fine  notion  he  was  giving  them 
of  the  training  he  had  at  Centeville,  if  he  could 
not  even  show  common  civility  to  the  Queen,  a 
lady  !  Was  that  the  way  Alberic  had  behaved 
when  he  came  to  Kouen  ?  " 

"Fru  Astrida  did  not  make  sour  faces  at 
him,  nor  call  him  a  young  savage,"  replied 
Richard. 

"  No,  and  he  gave  her  no  reason  to  do  so  ; 
he  knew  that  the  first  teaching  of  a  young 
Knight  is  to  he  courteous  to  ladies,  never  mind 
whether  fair  and  young,  or  old  and  foul  of  favour. 
Till  you  learn  and  note  that,  Lord  Richard,  you 
will  never  be  worthy  of  your  golden  spurs." 

"  And  the  King  told  me  she  would  treat  me 
as  a  mother,"  exclaimed  Richard.  "  Do  you 
think  the  King  speaks  the  truth,  Osmond  ?  " 

"  That  we  shall  see  by  his  deeds,"  said  Os- 
mond. 

"  He  was  very  kind  while  we  were  in  Nor- 
mandy. I  loved  him  so  much  better  than  the 
Count  de  Harcourt  ;  but  now  I  think  the  Count 
is  the  best  !  I'll  tell  you,  Osmond,  I  will  never 
call  him  grim  old  Bernard  again." 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  Ill 

"  You  had  best  not,  sir,  for  you  never  will 
have  a  more  true-hearted  vassal/' 

"  Well  !  I  wish  we  were  back  in  Normandy, 
with  Fru  Astrida  and  Alberic.  I  cannot  bear 
that  Lothaire.  He  is  proud,  and  unknightly, 
and  cruel,  I  am  sure  he  is,  and  I  will  never  love 
him." 

"  Hush  !  my  Lord,  beware  of  speaking  so 
loud.     You  are  not  in  your  own  castle." 

"And  Carloman  is  a  chicken  heart,"  con- 
tinued Richard,  unheeding.  "  He  does  not  like 
to  touch  snow,  and  he  cannot  even  slide  on  the 
ice,  and  he  is  afraid  to  go  near  that  great  dog — 
that  beautiful  wolf-hound." 

"  He  is  so  very  little,"  said  Osmond. 

"  I  am  sure  I  was  not  as  cowardly  at  his  age, 
now  was  I,  Osmond  ?     Don't  you  remember  ?  " 

"  Come,  Lord  Richard,  I  cannot  let  you 
wait  to  remember  every  thing  ;  tell  your  beads, 
and  pray  that  we  may  be  brought  safe  back  to 
Rouen  ;  and  that  you  may  not  forget  all  the 
good  that  Father  Lucas  and  holy  Abbot  Martin 
have  laboured  to  teach  you." 

Sir  Richard  told  the  beads  of  his  rosary — ■ 
black  polished  wood,  with  amber  at  certain  spaces 
— he  repeated  a  prayer  with  every  bead,  and 
Osmond  did  the  same,  then  the  little  Duke  put 


112  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

himself  into  a  narrow  crib  of  richly  carved 
walnut ;  while  Osmond  having  stuck  his  dagger 
so  as  to  form  an  additional  bolt  to  secure  the 
door,  and  examined  the  hangings  that  no  secret 
entrance  might  be  concealed  behind  them, 
gathered  a  heap  of  rushes  together,  and  lay 
down  on  them,  wrapped  in  his  mantle,  across 
the  doorway.  The  Duke  was  soon  asleep  ;  but 
the  squire  lay  long  awake,  musing  on  the  possi- 
ble dangers  that  surrounded  his  charge,  and  on 
the  best  way  of  guarding  against  them. 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

Osmond  de  Centeville  was  soon  convinced 
that  no  immediate  peril  threatened  his  young 
Duke  at  the  court  of  Laon.  Louis  seemed  to 
intend  to  fulfil  his  oaths  to  the  Normans  by 
allowing  the  child  to  be  the  companion  of  his 
own  sons,  and  to  be  treated  in  every  respect  as 
became  his  rank.  Kichard  had  his  proper  place 
at  table,  and  all  due  attendance  ;  he  learnt, 
rode,  and  played  with  the  Princes,  and  there  was 
nothing  to  complain  of  excepting  the  coldness 
and  inattention  with  which  the  King  and  Queen 
•treated  him,  by  no  means  fulfilling  the  promise 
of  being  as  parents  to  their  orphan  ward. 
Gerberge,  who  had  from  the  first  dreaded  his 
superior  strength,  and  his  roughness  with  her 
puny  boys,  and  who  had  been  by  no  means  won 
by  his  manners  at  their  first  meeting,  was  es- 
pecially distant  and  severe  with  him,  hardly 
ever  speaking  to  him  except  with  some  rebuke, 
which,  it  must  be  confessed,  Kichard  often  de- 
served. 


114  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

As  to  the  boys,  his  constant  companions, 
Richard  was  on  very  friendly  terms  with  Carlo- 
man,  a  gentle,  timid,  weakly  child.  Richard 
looked  down  upon  him,  but  he  was  kind,  as  a 
generous-tempered  boy  could  not  fail  to  be,  to 
one  younger  and  weaker  than  himself.  He  was 
so  much  kinder  than  Lothaire,  that  Carloman 
was  fast  growing  very  fond  of  him,  and  looked 
up  to  his  strength  and  courage  as  something 
noble  and  marvellous. 

It  was  very  different  with  Lothaire,  the  per- 
son from  whom,  above  all  others,  Richard  would 
have  most  expected  to  meet  with  affection,  as 
his  father's  god-son,  a  relationship,  which  in 
those  times,  was  thought  almost  as  near  as  kin- 
dred by  blood.  Lothaire  had  been  brought  up 
by  an  indulgent  mother,  and  by  courtiers  who 
never  ceased  flattering  him,  as  the  heir  to  the 
crown,  and  he  had  learnt  to  think  that  to  give 
way  to  his  naturally  imperious  "and  violent  dis- 
position was  the  way  to  prove  his  power  and  as- 
sert his  rank.  He  had  always  had  his  own  way, 
and  nothing  had  ever  been  done  to  check  his 
faults  ;  somewhat  weakly  health  had  made  him 
fretful  and  timid  ;  and  a  latent  consciousness 
of  this  fearfulness  made  him  all  the  more  cruel, 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  115 

sometimes  because  he  was  frightened,  sometimes 
because  he  fancied  it  manly. 

He  treated  his  little  brother  in  a  way  which 
in  these  times  boys  would  call  bullying,  and  as 
no  one  ever  dared  to  oppose  the  King's  eldest 
son,  it  was  pretty  much  the  same  with  every 
one  else,  except  now  and  then  some  dumb  crea- 
ture, and  then  all  Lothaire's  cruelty  was  shown. 
When  his  horse  kicked,  and  ended  by  throwing 
him,  he  stood  by,  and  caused  it  to  be  beaten  till 
the  poor  creature's  back  streamed  with  blood  ; 
when  his  dog  bit  his  hand  in  trying  to  seize  the 
meat  with  which  he  was  teazing  it,  he  insisted 
on  having  it  killed,  and  it  was  worse  still  when 
a  falcon  pecked  one  of  his  fingers.  It  really 
hurt  him  a  good  deal,  and,  in  a  furious  rage,  he 
caused  two  nails  to  be  heated  red  hot  in  the  fire, 
intending  to  have  them  thrust  into  the  poor 
bird's  eyes. 

"  I  will  not  have  it  done  !  ■  ■  exclaimed 
Eichard,  expecting  to  be  obeyed  as  he  was  at 
home,  but  Lothaire  only  laughed  scornfully,  say- 
ing, "  Do  you  think  you  are  master  here,  Sir 
pirate  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  have  it  done,"  repeated  Kichard. 
"  Shame  on  you,  shame  on  you,  for  thinkirfg  of 
such  an  unkingly  deed." 


116  THE   LITTLE    DUKE, 

"  Shame  on  me  !  Do  you  know  to  whom 
you  speak,  master  savage  ?  "  cried  Lothaire,  red 
with  passion. 

u  I  know  who  is  the  savage  now  !  "  said 
Kichard.  "  Hold  !  "  to  the  servant  who  was 
bringing  the  red  hot  irons  in  a  pair  of  tongs. 

"  Hold  ?  "  exclaimed  Lothaire.  "  No  one 
commands  here  but  I  and  my  father.  Go  on, 
Chariot — where  is  the  bird  ?  Keep  her  fast, 
Giles." 

"  Osmond  !     You  I  can  command  " — 

"  Come  away,  my  Lord,"  said  Osmond,  in- 
terrupting Richard's  order,  before  it  was  issued. 
"  We  have  no  right  to  interfere  here,  and  can- 
not hinder  it.  Come  away  from  such  a  foul 
sight/' 

"  Shame  on  you  too,  Osmond,  to  let  such  a 
deed  be  done  without  hindering  it  ! "  exclaimed 
Kichard,  breaking  from  him,  and  rushing  on  the 
man  who  carried  the  hot  irons.  The  French 
servants  were  not  very  willing  to  exert  their 
strength  against  the  Duke  of  Normandy,  and 
Richard's  onset  taking  the  man  by  surprise, 
made  him  drop  the  tongs.  Lothaire,  both  afraid 
and  enraged,  caught  them  up  as  a  weapon  of 
defence,  and  hardly  knowing  what  he  did,  struck 
full  at  Richard's  face  with  the  hot  iron.    Happily 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  117 

it  missed  his  eye,  and  the  heat  had  a  little 
abated,  but  as  it  touched  his  cheek  it  burnt  him 
sufficiently  to  cause  considerable  pain.  With  a 
cry  of  passion,  he  flew  at  Lothaire,  shook  him 
with  all  his  might,  and  ended  by  throwing  him 
at  his  length  on  the  pavement.  But  this  was 
the  last  of  Richard's  exploits,  for  he  was  at#the 
same  moment  captured  by  his  squire,  and  borne 
off,  struggling  and  kicking  as  if  Osmond  had 
been  his  greatest  foe  ;  but  the  young  Norman's 
arms  were  like  iron  round  him  ;  and  he  gave 
over  his  resistance  sooner,  because  at  that  mo- 
ment a  whirring  flapping  sound  was  heard,  and 
the  poor  hawk  rose  high,  higher,  over  their  heads 
in  ever  lessening  circles,  far  away  from  her  ene- 
mies. The  servant  who  held  her,  had  relaxed 
his  grasp  in  the  consternation  caused  by  Lothaire's 
fall,  and  she  was  mounting  up  and  up,  spying 
it  might  be,  her  way  to  her  native  rocks  in  Ice- 
land, with  the  yellow  eyes  which  Richard  had 
saved. 

"  Safe  !  safe  !  "  cried  Richard,  joyfully, 
ceasing  his  struggles.  "  0  \  how  glad  I  am  ! 
That  young  villain  should  never  have  hurt  her. 
Put.  me  down,  Osmond,  what  are  you  doing  with 
me  ?  " 

"  Saving  you  from  your — no,  I  cannot  coll 


118  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

it  folly — I  would  hardly  have  had  you  stand 
still   to  see  such — but   let  me   see  your  face." 

"It  is  nothing.  I  don't  care  now  the  hawk 
is  safe/'  said  Kichard,  though  he  could  hardly 
keep  his  lips  in  order,  and  was  obliged  to  wink 
very  hard  with  his  eyes  to  keep  the  tears  out, 
now  that  he  had  leisure  to  feel  the  smarting  ; 
but  it  would  have  been  far  beneath  a  Northman 
to  complain,  and  he  stood  bearing  it  gallantly, 
and  pinching  his  ringers  tightly  together,  while 
Osmond  knelt  down  to  examine  the  hurt.  a'Tis 
not  much,"  said  he,  talking  to  himself,  "  half 
bruise,  half  burn — I  wish  my  grandmother  was 
here — however,  it  can't  last  long  !  'Tis  right, 
you  bear  it  like  a  little  Berserkar,  and  it  is  no 
bad  thing  that  you  should  have  a  scar  to  show, 
that  they  may  not  be  able  to  say  you  did  all  the 
damage." 

"  Will  it  always  leave  a  mark  ? "  said 
Kichard.  "I  am  afraid  they  will  call  me 
Kichard  of  the  scarred  cheek,  when  we  get  back 
to  Normandy." 

"  Never  mind  if  they  do— it  will  not  be  a 
mark  to  be  ashamed  of,  even  if  it  should  last, 
which  I  do  not  believe  it  will." 

"  0  no,  I  am  so  glad  the  gallant  falcon  is 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  119 

out  of  his  reach  !  "  replied  Richard,  in  a  some- 
what quivering  voice. 

"Does  it  smart  much  ?  Well,  come  and 
bathe  it  with  cold  water — or  shall  I  take  you  to 
one  of  the  Queen's  women  ?  " 

"  No — the  water/'  said  Richard,  and  to*the 
fountain  in  the  court  they  went  ;  but  Osmond 
had  only  just  begun  to  splash  the  cheek  with 
the  half-frozen  water,  with  a  sort  of  rough  kind- 
ness, afraid  at  once  of  teaching  the  Duke  to  be 
effeminate,  and  of  not  being  as  tender  to  him  as 
Dame  Astrida  would  have  wished,  when  a  mes- 
senger came  in  haste  from  the  King  commanding 
the  presence  of  the  Duke  of  Normandy  and  his 
squire. 

Lothaire  was  standing  between  his  father 
and  mother  on  their  throne-like  seat,  leaning 
against  the  Queen,  who  had  her  arm  round  him  ; 
his  face  was  red  and  glazed  with  tears,  and  he 
still  shook  with  subsiding  sobs.  It  was  evident 
he  was  just  recovering  from  a  passionate  crying 
fit. 

"  How  is  this  ? "  began  the  King,  as 
Richard  entered.  "  What  means  this  conduct, 
my  Lord  of  Normandy  ?  Know  you  what  you 
have  done  in  striking  the  heir  of  France  ?  I 
might    imprison   you    this    instant    in    a    dun- 


120  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

geon.  where  you  would  never  see  the  light  of 
day." 

"  Then  Bernard  de  Harcourt  would  come 
and  set  me  free/'  fearlessly  answered  Richard. 

"  Do  you  bandy  words  with  me,  child  ? 
Asli  Prince  Lothaire's  pardon  instantly,  or  you 
shall  rue  it." 

"  I  have  done  nothing  to  ask  pardon  for.  It 
would  have  been  cruel  and  cowardly  in  me  to 
let  him  put  out  the  poor  hawk's  eyes/'  said 
Richard,  with  a  Northman's  stern  contempt  for 
pain,  disdaining  to  mention  his  own  burnt  cheek, 
which  indeed  the  King  might  have  seen  plainly 
enough. 

"  Hawk's  eyes  ! "  repeated  the  king.  "  Speak 
the  truth,  Sir  Duke  ;  do  not  add  slander  to 
your  other  faults." 

"  I  have  spoken  the  truth — I  always  speak 
it  !  "  cried  Richard.  "  Whoever  says  otherwise 
lies  in  his  throat  !  " 

Osmond  here  hastily  interfered,  and  desired 
permission  to  tell  the  whole  story.  The  hawk 
was  a  valuable  bird,  and  Louis's  face  darkened 
when  he  heard  what  Lothaire  had  purposed,  for 
the  Prince  had,  in  telling  his  own  story,  made  it 
appear  that  Richard  had  been  the  aggressor  by 
insisting   on  letting   the    falcon   fly.       Osmond 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  121 

finished  by  pointing  to  the  mark  on  Richard's 
cheek,  so  evidently  a  burn  as  to  be  proof  that 
hot  iron  had  played  a  part  in  the  matter.  The 
King  looked  at  one  of  his  own  squires  and  asked 
his  account,  and  he  with  some  hesitation  could 
not  but  reply  that  it  was  as  the  young  Sieur  de 
Centeville  had  said.  Thereupon  Louis  angrily 
reproved  his  own  people  for  having  assisted  the 
Prince  in  trying  to  injure  the  hawk,  called  for 
the  chief  falconer,  rated  him  for  not  better 
attending  to  his  birds,  and  went  forth  with  him 
to  see  if  the  hawk  could  yet  be  re-captured, 
leaving  the  two  boys  neither  punished  nor  par- 
doned. 

"  So  you  have  escaped  for  this  once/'  said 
Gerberge,  coldly,  to  Richard  ;  "  you  had  better 
beware  another  time.  Come  with  me,  my  poor 
darling  Lothaire."  She  led  her  son  away  to 
her  own  apartments,  and  the  French  squires 
began  to  grumble  to  each  other  complaints  of 
the  impossibility  of  pleasing  their  Lords,  since, 
if  they  contradicted  Prince  Lothaire,  he  was  so 
spiteful  that  he  was  sure  to  set  the  Queen 
against  them,  and  that  was  far  worse  in  the  end 
than  the  King's  displeasure.  Osmond,  in  the 
meantime,  took  Richard  to  re-commence  bathing 
LN  face,  and  presently  Carloman  ran  out  to  pity 
6 


122  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

him,  wonder  at  him  for  not  crying,  and  say  he 
was  glad  the  poor  hawk  had  escaped. 

The  cheek  continued  inflamed  and  painful 
for  some  time,  and  there  was  a  deep  scar  long 
after  the  pain  had  ceased,  but  Richard  thought 
little  of  it  after  the  first,  and  would  have  scorned 
to  bear  ill-will  to  Lothaire  for  the  injury. 

Lothaire  left  off  taunting  Eichard  with  his 
Norman  accent,  and  calling  him  a  young  Sea- 
King  ;  he  had  felt  his  strength,  and  was  afraid 
of  him  ;  but  he  did  not  like  him  the  better — he 
never  played  with  him  willingly — scowled,  and 
looked  dark  and  jealous  if  his  father,  or  if  any 
of  the  great  nobles  took  the  least  notice  of  the 
little  Duke,  and  whenever  he  was  out  of  hearing, 
talked  against  him  with  all  his  natural  spit ef ill- 
ness. 

Richard  liked  Lothaire  quite  as  little,  con- 
temning almost  equally  his  cowardly  ways  and 
his  imperious  disposition.  Since  he  had  been 
Duke,  Richard  had  been  somewhat  inclined  to 
grow  imperious  himself,  though  always  kept 
under  restraint  by  Fru  Astrida's  good  training, 
and  Count  Bernard's  authority,  and  his  whole 
generous  nature  would  have  revolted  against 
treating  Alberic,  or  indeed  his  meanest  vassal, 
as  Lothaire  used  the  unfortunate  children  who 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  123 

were  his  play-fellows.  Perhaps  this  made  hirn 
look  on  with  greater  horror  at  the  tyranny  which 
Lothaire  exercised  ;  at  any  rate  he  learnt  to 
abhor  it  more,  and  to  make  many  resolutions 
against  ordering  people  about  uncivilly  when 
once  he  should  be  in  Normandy  again.  He 
often  interfered  to  protect  the  poor  boys,  and 
generally  with  success,  for  the  Prince  was  afraid 
of  provoking  such  another  shake  as  Richard  had 
once  given  him,  and  though  he  generally  repaid 
himself  on  his  victim  in  the  end,  he  yielded  for 
the  time. 

Carloman,  whom  Richard  often  saved  from 
his  brother's  unkindness,  clung  closer  and  closer 
to  him,  went  with  him  everywhere,  tried  to  do 
all  he  did,  grew  very  fond  of  Osmond,  and  liked 
nothing  better  than  to  sit  by  Richard  in  some 
wide  window- seat,  in  the  evening,  after  supper, 
and  listen  to  Richard's  version  of  some  of  Fru 
Astrida's  favourite  tales,  or  hear  the  never-end- 
ing history  of  sports  at  Centeville,  or  at  Rollo's 
Tower,  or  settle  what  great  things  they  would 
both  do  when  they  were  grown  up,  and  Richard 
was  ruling  Normandy— perhaps  go  to  the  Holy 
Land  together,  and  slaughter  an  unheard-of  host 
of  giants  and  dragons  on  the  way.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  poor  Carloman  gave  small 


124  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

promises  of  being  able  to  perform  great  exploits, 
for  lie  was  very  small  for  his  age,  and  often  ail- 
ing ;  soon  tired,  and  never  able  to  bear  much 
rough  play.  Richard,  who  had  never  had  any 
reason  to  learn  to  forbear,  did  not  at  first  un- 
derstand this,  and  made  Carloman  cry  several 
times  with  his  roughness  and  violence,  but  this 
always  vexed  him  so  much  that  he  grew  careful 
to  avoid  such  things  for  the  future,  and  gradually 
learnt  to  treat  his  poor  little  weakly  friend  with 
a  gentleness  and  patience  at  which  Osmond 
used  to  marvel,  and  which  he  would  hardly  have 
been  taught  in  his  prosperity  at  home. 

Between  Carloman  and  Osmond,  he  was 
thus  tolerably  happy  at  Laon,  but  he  missed  his 
own  dear  friends  and  the  loving  greetings  of  his 
vassals,  and  longed  earnestly  to  be  at  Rouen, 
asking  Osmond  almost  every  night  when  they 
should  go  back,  to  which  Osmond  could  only 
answer  that  he  must  pray  that  Heaven  would  be 
pleased  to  bring  them  home  safely. 

Osmond,  in  the  meantime,  kept  a  vigilant 
watch  for  anything  that  might  seem  to  threaten 
danger  to  his  lord  ;  but  at  present  there  was  no 
token  of  any  evil  being  intended  ;  the  only  point, 
in  which  Louis  did  not  seem  to  be  fulfilling  his 
promises  to  the  Normans  was,  that  no  prepara- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  125 

tions   were    made  for  attacking  the    Count  of 
Flanders. 

At  Easter,  the  court  was  visited  by  Hugh 
the  White,  the  great  Count  of  Paris,  the  most 
powerful  man  in  France,  and  who  was  only  pre- 
vented by  his  own  loyalty  and  forbearance  from 
taking  the  crown  from  the  feeble  and  degenerate 
race  of  Charlemagne.  He  had  been  a  firm 
friend  of  William  Longsword,  and  Osmond  re- 
marked how,  on  his  arrival,  the  King  took  care 
to  bring  Kichard  forward,  talk  of  him  affection- 
atelv,  and  caress  him  almost  as  much  as  he  had 
done  at  Kouen.  The  Count  himself  was  really 
kind  and  affectionate  to  the  little  Duke  ;  he  kept 
him  by  his  side,  and  seemed  to  like  to  stroke 
down  his  long  flaxen  hair,  looking  in  his  face 
with  a  grave  mournful  expression,  as  if  seeking 
for  a  likeness  to  his  father.  He  soon  asked 
about  the  scar  which  the  burn  had  left,  and  the 
King  was  obliged  to  answer  hastily,  it  was  an 
accident,  a  disaster  that  had  chanced  in  a  boyish 
quarrel.  Louis,  in  fact,  was  uneasy,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  watching  the  Count  of  Paris  the 
whole  time  of  his  visit,  so  as  to  prevent  him 
from  having  any  conversation  in  private  with  the 
other  great  vassals  assembled  at  the  court. 
Hugh  did  not  seem  to  perceive  this,  and  acted  as 


126  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

if  he  was  entirely  at  his  ease,  but  at  the  same  time 
he  watched  his  opportunity.  One  evening  after 
supper  he  came  up  to  the  window  where  Richard 
and  Carloman  were,  as  usual,  deep  in  story  tell- 
ing, he  sat  down  on  the  stone  seat,  and  taking 
Richard  on  his  knee,  he  asked  if  he  had  any 
greetings  for  the  Count  de  HarGourt. 

How  Richard's  face  lighted  up  !  "  0  Sir," 
he  cried,  "  are  you  going  to  Normandy  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  my  boy,  but  it  may  be  that  I  may 
have  to  meet  old  Harcourt  at  the  Elm  of 
Grisors/' 

"  0,  if  I  was  but  going  with  you  !  " 

"  I  wish  I  could  take  you,  but  it  would 
scarcely  do  for  me  to  steal  the  heir  of  Normandy. 
What  shall  I  tell  him  ?  » 

"  Tell  him,"  whispered  Richard,  edging  him- 
self close  to  the  Count,  and  trying  to  reach  his 
ear,  "  tell  him  that  I  am  sorry,  now,  that  I  was 
sullen  when  he  reproved  me.  I  know  he  was 
right.  And,  sir,  if  he  brings  with  him  a  certain 
huntsman  with  a  long  hooked  nose,  whose  name 
is  Walter,12  tell  him  I  am  sorry  I  used  to  order 
him  about  so  unkindly.  And  tell  him  to  bear 
my  greetings  to  Fru  Astrida  and  Sir  Eric,  and 
to  Alberic." 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  127 

"  Shall  I  tell  him  how  you  have  marked  your 
face  ?  » 

"  No/'  said  Richard,  "  he  would  think  me  a 
baby  to  care  about  such  a  thing  as  that  !  " 

The  Count  asked  how  it  happened,  and 
Richard  told  the  story,  for  he  felt  as  if  he  could 
tell  the  kind  Count  anything,  it  was  almost  like 
that  last  evening  that  he  had  sat  on  his  father's 
knee.  Hugh  ended  by  putting  his  arm  round 
him,  and  saying,  "  Well,  my  little  Duke,  I  am 
as  glad  as  you  are  the  gallant  bird  is  safe — it 
will  be  a  tale  for  my  own  little  Hugh  and 
Eumacette13  at  home — and  you  must  one  day 
be  friends  with  them  as  your  father  has  been 
with  me.  And  now,  do  you  think  your  squire 
could  come  to  my  chamber  late  this  evening 
when  the  household  is  at  rest  ?  " 

Richard  undertook  that  Osmond  should  do 
so,  and  the  Count,  setting  him  down  again,  re- 
turned to  the  dais.  Osmond,  before  going  to 
the  Count  that  evening,  ordered  Sybald  to  come 
and  guard  the  Duke's  door.  It  was  a  long  con- 
ference, for  Hugh  had  come  to  Laon  chiefly  for 
the  purpose  of  seeing  how  it  went  with  his 
friend's  son,  and  was  anxious  to  know  what 
Osmond  thought  of  the  matter.  They  agreed 
that   at  present  there  did  not  seem  to  be  any 


128  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

evil  intended,  and  that  it  rather  appeared  as  if 
Louis  wished  only  to  keep  him  as  a  hostage  for 
the  tranquillity  of  the  borders  of  Normandy  ; 
but  Hugh  advised  that  Osmond  should  maintain 
a  careful  watch,  and  send  intelligence  to  him  on 
the  first  token  of  mischief. 

The  next  morning  the  Count  of  Paris  quit- 
ted Laon,  and  everything  went  on  in  the  usual 
course  till  the  feast  of  Whitsuntide,  when  there 
was  always  a  great  display  of  splendour  at  the 
French  court.  The  crown  vassals  generally 
came  to  pay  their  duty,  and  go  with  the  King 
to  Church  ;  and  there  was  a  state  banquet,  at 
which  the  King  and  Queen  wore  their  crowns, 
and  every  one  sat  in  great  magnificence  accord- 
ing to  their  rank. 

The  grand  procession  to  Church  was  over. 
Kichard  had  walked  with  Carloman,  the  Prince 
richly  dressed  in  blue,  embroidered  with  golden 
fleur-de-lys,  and  Kichard  in  scarlet,  with  a  gold 
cross  on  his  breast  ;  the  beautiful  service  was 
over,  they  had  returned  to  the  castle,  and  there 
the  Seneschal  was  marshalling  the  goodly  and 
noble  company  to  the  banquet,  when  horses'  feet 
were  heard  at  the  gate,  announcing  some  fresh 
arrival  ;    the    Seneschal   went    to    receive    the 


THE    LITTLE   DUKE.  129 

guests,  and  presently  was  heard  ushering  in  the 
noble  Prince,  Arnulf,  Count  of  Flanders  ! 

Richard's  face  became  pale — he  turned  from 
Carloman,  by  whose  side  he  had  been  standing, 
and  walked  straight  out  of  the  hall  and  up  the 
stairs,  closely  followed  by  Osmond.  In  a  few 
minutes  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door  of  his 
chamber,  and  a  French  Knight  stood  there  say- 
ing, "  Comes  not  the  Duke  to  the  banquet  ?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Osmond,  "  he  eats  not  with 
the  slayer  of  his  father." 

"  The  King  will  take  it  amiss  ;  for  the  sake 
of  the  child,  you  had  better  beware,"  said  the 
Frenchman,  hesitating. 

"  He  had  better  beware  himself,"  exclaimed 
Osmond  indignantly,  "how  he  brings  the 
treacherous  murderer  of  William  Longsword 
into  the  presence  of  a  free-born  Norman,  unless 
he  would  see  him  slain  where  he  stands.  Were 
it  not  for  the  boy  I  would  challenge  the  traitor 
this  instant  to  single  combat." 

"  Well,  I  can  scarce  blame  you,"  said  the 
Knight,  "  but  you  had  best  have  a  care  how  you 
tread.     Farewell." 

Richard  had  hardly  time  to  express  his  in- 
dignation, and  his  wishes  that  he  was  a  man, 
before  another  message  came  through  a  groom 
6* 


130  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

of  Lothaire's  train,  that  the  Duke  must  fast,  if 
he  would  not  consent  to  eat  with  the  rest. 

"  Tell  Prince  Lothaire,"  replied  Kichard, 
"  that  I  am  not  such  a  glutton  as  he — I  had 
rather  fast  than  be  choked  with  eating  with 
Arnulf  !  " 

All  the  rest  of  the  day,  Kichard  remained  in 
his  own  chamber,  resolved  not  to  run  the  risk 
of  meeting  with  Arnulf.  The  squire  remained 
with  him,  in  this  voluntary  imprisonment,  and 
they  occupied  themselves,  as  best  they  could, 
with  furbishing  Osmond's  armour,  and  helping 
each  other  out  in  repeating  some  of  the  Sagas. 
They  once  heard  a  great  uproar  in  the  court, 
and  both  were  very  anxious  to  learn  its  cause, 
but  they  did  not  know  till  late  in  the  afternoon. 

Caiioman  crept  up  to  them — "  Here  I  am 
at  last  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Here,  Kichard,  I 
have  brought  you  some  bread ^  as  you  had  no 
dinner,  it  was  all  I  could  bring.  I  saved  it 
under  the  table  lest  Loth  aire  should  see  it." 

Richard  thanked  Caiioman  with  all  his 
heart,  and  being  very  hungry  was  glad  to  share 
the  bread  with  Osmond.  He  asked  how  Ions: 
the  wicked  Count  was  going  to  stay,  and  rejoiced 
to  hear  he  was  going  away  the  next  morning, 
and  the  King  was  going  with  him. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  131 

"  What  was  that  great  noise  in  the  court  ?  " 
asked  Richard. 

"  I  scarcely  like  to  tell  you/'  returned  Car- 
loman. 

Richard,  however,  begged  to  hear,  and  Car- 
lorn  an  was  obliged  to  tell  that  the  two  Norman 
grooms,  Sybald  and  Henry,  had  quarrelled  with 
the  Flemings  of  Ar null's  train  ;  there  had  been 
a  fray,  which  had  ended  in  the  death  of  three 
Flemings,  a  Frank,  and  of  Sybald  himself — 
And  where  was  Henry  ?  Alas  !  there  was  more 
ill  news,  the  King  had  sentenced  Henry  to  die, 
and  he  had  been  hanged  immediately. 

Dark  with  anger  and  sorrow  grew  young 
Richard's  face,  he  had  been  fond  of  his  two 
Norman  attendants,  he  trusted  to  their  attach- 
ment, and  he  would  have  wept  for  their  loss 
even  if  it  had  happened  in  any  other  way,  but 
now,  when  it  had  been  caused  by  their  enmity 
to  his  father's  foes,  the  Flemings,  when  one  had 
fallen  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  and  the  other 
been  condemned  hastily,  cruelly,  unjustly,  it  was 
too  much,  and  he  almost  choked  with  grief  and 
indignation.  Why  had  he  not  been  there,  to 
claim  Henry  as  his  own  vassal,  and  if  he  could 
not  save  him,  at  least  bid  him  farewell  ?  Then 
he  would  have  broken  out  in  angry  threats,  but 


132  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

he  felt  his  own  helplessness  and  was  ashamed, 
and  he  could  only  shed  tears  of  passionate  grief, 
refusing  all  Carloman's  attempts  to  comfort  him. 
Osmond  was  even  more  concerned,  he  valued  the 
two  Normans  extremely  for  their  courage  and 
faithfulness,  and  had  relied  on  sending  intelli- 
gence, by  their  means,  to  Kouen  in  case  of  need. 
It  appeared  to  him  as  if  the  first  opportunity 
had  been  seized  of  removing  these  protectors 
from  the  little  Duke,  and  as  if  the  designs, 
whatever  they  might  be,  which  had  been  formed 
against  him,  were  about  to  take  effect.  He  had 
little  doubt  that  his  own  turn  would  be  the  next  ; 
but  he  was  resolved  to  endure  anything  rather 
than  give  the  smallest  opportunity  of  removing 
him,  to  bear  even  insults  with  patience,  and  to 
remember  that  in  his  care  rested  the  sole  hope 
of  safety  for  his  charge. 

That  danger  was  fast  gathering  round  them 
became  more  evident  every  day,  especially  after 
the  King  and  Arnulf  had  gone  away  together. 
It  was  very  hot  weather,  and  Richard  began  to 
weary  after  the  broad  cool  river  at  Rouen,  where 
he  used  to  bathe  last  summer  ;  and  one  evening 
he  persuaded  his  squire  to  go  down  with  him  to 
the  Oise,  which  flowed  along  some  meadow 
ground   about   a    quarter   of    a  mile  from  the 


THE    LITTLE   DUKE.  133 

castle,  but  they  had  hardly  set  forth  before  three 
or  four  attendants  came  running  after  them, 
with  express  orders  from  the  Queen  that  they 
should  return  immediately.  They  obeyed,  and 
found  her  standing  in  the  castle  hall  looking 
greatly  incensed.14 

"  What  means  this  ?  "  she  asked  angrily. 
"  Knew  you  not  that  the  King  has  left  commands 
that  the  Duke  quits  not  the  castle  in  his  ab- 
sence ?  " 

"  I  was  only  going  as  far  as  the  river — " 
began  Richard,  but  Gerberge  cut  him  short. 
"  Silence,  child,  I  will  hear  no  excuses.  Perhaps 
you  think,  Sieur  cle  Centeville,  that  you  may 
take  liberties  in  the  King's  absence,  but  I  tell 
you  that  if  you  are  found  without  the  walls 
again,  it  shall  be  at  your  peril  ;  aye,  and  his. 
I'll  have  those  haughty  eyes  put  out  if  you  dis- 
obey." 

She  turned  away,  and  Lothaire  looked  at 
them  with  his  air  of  gratified  malice.  "  You 
will  not  lord  it  over  your  betters  much  longer, 
young  pirate,"  said  he,  as  he  followed  his  moth- 
er, afraid  to  stay  to  meet  the  anger  he  might 
have  excited  by  the  taunt  he  could  not  deny 
himself  the  pleasure  of  making  ;  but  Richard, 
who  six  months  ago  could  not  brook  a  slight 


134  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

disappointment  or  opposition,  had,  in  his  present 
life  of  restraint,  danger,  and  vexation,  learnt 
to  curb  the  first  outbreak  of  temper,  and  to  bear 
patiently  instead  of  breaking  out  into  passion 
and  threats,  and  now  his  only  thought  was  of 
his  beloved  squire. 

"  0,  Osmond  !  Osmond  !  "  he  exclaimed, 
"  they  shall  not  hurt  you.  I  will  never  go  out 
again,  I  will  never  speak  another  hasty  word,  I 
will  never  affront  the  Prince  if  they  will  but 
leave  you  with  me  !  " 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

It  was  a  fine  summer  evening,  and  Richard 
and  Carle-man  were  playing  at  ball  on  the  steps 
of  the  castle  gate,  when  a  voice  was  heard  from 
beneath,  begging  for  alms  from  the  noble  Prin- 
ces in  the  name  of  the  blessed  Virgin,  and  the 
two  boys  saw  a  pilgrim  standing  at  the  gate, 
wrapt  in  a  long  robe  of  serge,  with  a  staff  in 
his  hand  surmounted  by  a  cross,  a  scrip  at  his 
girdle,  and  a  broad  shady  hat,  which  he  had 
taken  off,  as  he  stood,  making  low  obeisances 
and  asking  charity. 

"Come  in,  holy  pilgrim/'  said  Carloman  ;  "it 
is  late,  and  you  shall  sup  and  rest  here  to- 
night." 

"  Blessings  from  heaven  light  on  you,  noble 
Prince,"  replied  the  pilgrim,  and  at  that  mo- 
ment Richard  shouted  joyfully,  "  A  Norman,  a 
Norman,  'tis  my  own  dear  speech  !  0,  are  you 
not  from  Normandy  ?  Osmond,  Osmond,  he 
comes  from  home  !  " 


136  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

"  My  Lord  !  my  own  Lord  !  "  exclaimed  the 
pilgrim,  and,  kneeling  on  one  knee  at  the  foot 
of  the  steps,  he  kissed  the  hand  which  the  young 
Duke  held  out  to  him — "  This  is  joy  unlooked 
for  !  " 

"  Walter  !  Walter  the  huntsman  !  "  cried 
Richard.  "  Is  it  you  ?  0  !  how  is  Fru  Astrida, 
and  all  at  home  ?  " 

"  Well,  my  Lord,  and  wearying  to  know 
how  it  is  with  you — "  began  Walter,  but  a 
very  different  tone  exclaimed,  from  behind  the 
pilgrim,  "  What  is  all  this  ?  Who  is  stopping 
my  way  ?  What  !  Richard  would  be  King  and 
more,  would  he  ?  More  insolence  ?  "  It  was 
Lothaire,  returning  with  his  attendants  from 
the  chase,  in  by  no  means  an  amiable  mood  ; 
for  he  had  been  disappointed  of  his  game. 

"  He  is  a  Norman — a  vassal  of  Richard's 
own,"  said  Carloman. 

"  A  Norman,  is  he  ?  I  thought  we  had  got 
rid  of  the  robbers  ?  We  want  no  robbers  here. 
Scourge  him  soundly,  Perron,  and  teach  him 
how  to  stop  my  way." 

"  He  is  a  pilgrim,  my  Lord,"  suggested  one 
of  the  followers. 

"  I  care  not,  I'll  have  no  Normans  here  com- 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  137 

ing  spying  in  disguise.     Scourge  him,  I  say,  dog 
that  he  is.     Away  with  him.      A  spy,  a  spy  !  " 

"  No  Norman  is  scourged  in  my  sight  !  " 
said  Richard,  darting  forwards,  and  throwing 
himself  between  Walter  and  the  woodsman,  who 
was  preparing  to  obey  Lothaire,  just  in  time  to 
receive  on  his  own  bare  neck  the  sharp  cutting 
leathern  thong,  which  raised  a  long  red  streak 
along  its  course.     Lothaire  laughed. 

"  My  Lord  Duke— What  have  you  done  ? 
0  leave  me — this  befits  you  not  !  "  cried  Wal- 
ter, extremely  distressed  ;  but  Richard  had 
caught  hold  of  the  whip,  and  called  out, 
"  Away  !  away  !  run  !  haste,  haste  !  "  and  the 
words  were  repeated  at  once  by  Osmond,  Carlo- 
man,  and  many  of  the  French,  who,  though 
afraid  to  disobey  the  Prince,  were  unwilling  to 
violate  the  sanctity  of  a  pilgrim's  person,  and 
the  Norman,  seeing  there  was  no  help  for  it, 
obeyed  ;  the  French  made  way  for  him,  and  he 
effected  his  escape,  while  Lothaire,  after  a  great 
deal  of  storming  and  raging,  went  up  to  his 
mother  to  triumph  in  the  cleverness  with  which 
lie  had  detected  a  Norman  spy  in  disguise. 

Lothaire  was  not  far  wrong  ;  Walter  had 
really  come  to  satisfy  himself  as  to  the  safety 
of  the  little  Duke,  and  try  to  gain  an  interview 


138  THE    LITTLE    DU&E. 

with  Osmond.  In  the  latter  purpose  he  failed, 
though  he  lingered  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Laon  for  several  days,  for  Osmond  never  left  the 
Duke  for  an  instant  ;  and  he  was,  as  has  been 
shown,  a  close  prisoner,  in  all  but  the  name, 
within  the  walls  of  the  castle.  The  pilgrim 
had,  however,  the  opportunity  of  picking  up  ti- 
dings which  made  him  perceive  the  true  state 
of  things  ;  he  learnt  the  deaths  of  Sibald  and 
Henry,  the  alliance  between  the  King  and  Ar- 
nulf,  and  the  restraint  and  harshness  with  which 
the  Duke  was  treated,  and  with  this  intelligence 
he  went  in  haste  to  Normandy. 

Soon  after  his  arrival,  a  three  days'  fast  was 
observed  throughout  the  Dukedom,  and  in  every 
Church,  from  the  Cathedral  of  Bayeux  to  the 
smallest  and  rudest  village  shrine,  crowds  of 
worshippers  were  kneeling,  imploring,  many  of 
them  with  tears,  that  God  would  look  on  them 
in  His  mercy,  restore  to  them  their  Prince,  and 
deliver  the  child  out  of  the  hands  of  his  enemies. 
How  earnest  and  sorrowful  were  the  prayers  of- 
fered at  Centeville  may  well  be  imagined  ;  and 
at  Montemar  sur  Epte  the  anxiety  was  scarcely 
less.  Indeed,  from  the  time  the  evil  tidings 
arrived,  Alberic  grew  so  restless  and  unhappy, 
and  so  anxious  to  do  something,  that  at  last  his 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  139 

mother  set  out  with  him  on  a  pilgrimage  to  the 
Abbey  of  Jumieges,  to  pray  for  the  rescue  of 
his  clear  little  Duke. 

In  the  meantime  Louis  had  sent  notice  to 
Laon  that  he  should  return  home  in  a  week's 
time,  and  Richard  rejoiced  in  the  prospect,  for 
the  King  had  always  been  less  unkind  to  him 
than  the  Queen,  and  he  hoped  to  be  released 
from  his  captivity  within  the  castle.  Just  at 
this  time  he  became  very  unwell  ;  it  might  have 
been  only  the  effect  of  the  life  of  unwonted  con- 
finement which  he  had  lately  led  that  was  be- 
ginning to  tell  on  his  health,  but  after  being 
heavy  and  uncomfortable  for  a  day  or  two 
without  knowing  what  was  the  matter  with 
him,  he  was  one  night  attacked  with  high  fever. 

Osmond  was  dreadfully  alarmed,  knowing 
nothing  at  all  of  the  treatment  of  illness,  and, 
what  was  worse,  fully  persuaded  that  the  poor 
child  had  been  poisoned,  and  therefore  resolved 
not  to  call  any  assistance  ;  he  hung  over  him 
all  night,  expecting  each  moment  to  see  him 
expire,  ready  to  tear  his  hair  with  despair  and 
fury;  and  yet  obliged  to  restrain  himself  to  the 
utmost  quietness  and  gentleness  to  soothe  the 
suffering  of  the  sick  child. 

Through  that  night  Eichard  either  tossed 


140  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

about  on  his  narrow  bed,  or,  when  his  restless- 
ness desired  the  change,  sat,  leaning  his  aching 
head  on  Osmond's  breast,  too  oppressed  and 
miserable  to  speak  or  think.  When  the  day 
dawned  on  them,  and  he  was  still  too  ill  to  leave 
the  room,  messages  were  sent  for  him,  and  Os- 
mond could  no  longer  conceal  the  fact  of  his 
sickness,  but  parleyed  at  the  door,  keeping  out 
every  one  he  could,  and  refusing  all  offers  of 
attendance.  He  would  not  even  admit  Carlo- 
man,  though  Richard,  hearing  his  voice,  begged 
to  see  him,  and  when  a  proposal  was  sent  from 
the  Queen  that  a  skilful  old  nurse  should  visit 
and  prescribe  for  the  patient,  he  refused  with 
all  his  might,  and  when  he  had  shut  the  door, 
walked  up  and  down,  muttering,  "  Aye,  aye, 
the  witch  !  coming  to  finish  what  she  has 
begun  !  " 

All  that  day  and  the  next  Richard  con- 
tinued very  ill,  and  Osmond  waited  on  him- 
assiduously,  never  closing  his  eyes  for  a  moment, 
but  constantly  telling  his  beads  whenever  the 
boy  did  not  require  his  attendance.  At  last 
Richard  fell  asleep,  slept  long  and  soundly  for 
some  hours,  and  waked  much  better  ;  Osmond 
was  in  a  transport  of  joy.  "  Thanks  to  Hea- 
ven, they   shall  fail  for   this   time  !    and   they 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  141 

shall  never  have  another  chance.  May  Heaven 
be  with  us  still  !  " 

Richard  was  too  weak  and  weary  to  ask 
what  he  meant,  and  for  the  next  few  days  Os- 
mond watched  him  with  the  utmost  care.  As 
for  food,  now  that  Richard  could  eat  again,  Os- 
mond would  not  hear  of  his  touching  what  was 
sent  from  the  royal  table,  but  always  went  down 
himself  to  procure  food  in  the  kitchen,  where 
he  said  he  had  a  friend  among  the  cooks,  who 
would,  he  thought,  scarcely  poison  him  inten- 
tionally. When  Richard  was  able  to  cross  the 
room,  he  insisted  on  his  always  fastening  the 
door  with  the  dagger,  and  never  opening  to  any 
summons  but  his  own,  not  even  to  Prince  Car- 
loman's.  Richard  wondered,  but  he  was  obliged 
to  obey  ;  and  he  knew  enough  of  the  perils 
around  him  to  perceive  the  reasonableness  of 
Osmond's  caution. 

Thus  several  clays  had  passed,  the  King  had 
returned,  and  Richard  was  so  much  recovered 
that  he  had  become  very  anxious  to  be  allowed 
to  go  down  stairs  again,  instead  of  remaining 
shut  up  there  ;  but  still  Osmond  would  not  con- 
sent, though  Richard  had  done  nothing  all  day 
but  walk  round  the  room  to  show  how  strong 
he  was. 


142  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  Now,  my  Lord,  guard  the  door  ;  take 
care,"  said  Osmond,  "  you  have  no  loss  to-day, 
for  the  King  has  brought  home  Herluin  of  Mon- 
treuil,  whom  you  would  be  almost  as  loath  to 
meet  as  the  Fleming.  And  tell  your  beads  while 
I  am  gone,  that  the  Saints  may  bring  us  out  of 
our  peril." 

Osmond  was  absent  nearly  half-an-hour, 
and  when  he  returned,  brought  on  his  shoulders 
a  huge  bundle  of  straw.  "  What  is  this  for  ?  * 
exclaimed  Eichard  ;  "  I  wanted  my  supper,  and 
you  have  brought  straw  ! " 

"  Here  is  your  supper,"  said  Osmond,  throw- 
ing down  the  straw,  and  producing  a  bag  with 
some  bread  and  meat.  "  What  should  you  say, 
my  Lord,  if  we  should  sup  in  Normandy  to- 
morrow night  ?  " 

"  In  Normandy  !  "  cried  Eichard,  springing 
up  and  clapping  his  hands.  "  In  Normandy  ! 
0,  Osmond,  did  you  say  in  Normandy  ?  Shall 
we,  shall  we  really  ?  0  joy  !  joy  !  Is  Count 
Bernard  come  ?     Will  the  King  let  us  go  ?  " 

"  Hush  !  hush,  sir,  it  must  be  our  own  do- 
ing ;  it  will  all  fail  if  you  are  not  silent  and 
prudent,  and  we  shall  be  undone." 

"  I  will  do  anything  to  get  home  again  ! " 

"  Eat  first,"  said  Osmond. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  143 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  I  will 
not  be  as  foolish  as  I  was  when  you  tried  to  get 
me  safe  out  of  Rollo's  tower.  But  I  should 
like  to  wish  Carloman  farewell." 

"  That  must  not  be/'  said  Osmond,  "  we 
should  not  have  time  to  escape  if  they  did  not 
still  believe  you  very  ill  in  bed." 

"  I  am  sorry  not  to  wish  Carloman  good- 
bye !  "  repeated  Richard  ;  "  but  shall  we  see 
Fro  Astrida  again  and  Sir  Eric  ?  and  Alberic 
must  come  back  again  !  0,  do  let  us  go  !  0 
Normandy,  dear  Normandy  !  " 

Richard  could  hardly  eat  for  excitement, 
while  Osmond  hastily  made  his  arrangements, 
girding  on  his  sword,  and  giving  Richard  his 
dagger  to  put  into  his  belt.  He  placed  the  re- 
mainder of  the  provisions  in  his  wallet,  threw  a 
thick  purple  cloth  mantle  over  the  Duke,  and 
then  desired  him  to  lie  down  on  the  straw  which 
he  had  brought  in.  "I  shall  hide  you  in  it," 
he  said,  "  and  carry  you  through  the  hall  as  if  I 
was  going  to  feed  my  horse." 

"  0,  they  will  never  guess  !  "  cried  Richard 
laughing.  "  I  will  be  quite  still — I  will  make 
no  noise — I  will  hold  my  breath." 

"  Yes,  mind  you  do  not  move  hand  or  foot, 
or  rustle  the  straw.     It  is  no  play — it  is  life 


144  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

or  death/'  said  Osmond,  as  he  disposed  the 
straw  round  the  little  boy.  "  There,  can  you 
breathe  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Richard's  voice  from  the  midst. 
"  Am  I  quite  hidden  ?  " 

"  Entirely.  Now,  remember,  whatever  hap- 
pens, do  not  move  !  May  Heaven  protect  us  ! 
Now  !     The  Saints  be  with  us  !  " 

Richard,  from  the  interior  of  the  bundle, 
heard  Osmond  set  open  the  door  ;  then  he  felt 
himself  raised  from  the  ground,  Osmond  was 
carrying  him  along,  down  the  stairs,  the  ends  of 
the  straw  crushing  and  sweeping  against  the 
wall.  The  only  way  to  the  outer  door  was 
through  the  hall  and  here  was  the  danger  ; 
Richard  heard  voices,  steps,  loud  singing,  and 
laughter,  as  if  feasting  was  going  on,  then  some 
one  said  :  "  Tending  your  horse,  Sieur  de  Cente- 
ville  ?  " 

"  Yes/'  Osmond  made  answer.  "  You  know, 
since  we  lost  our  grooms,  the  poor  black  would 
come  off  badly  did  I  not  attend  to  him." 

Presently  came  Carloman's  voice.  "  Oh  ! 
Osmond  de  Centeville  !  is  Richard  better  ?  " 

"  He  is  better,  my  Lord,  I  thank  you,  but 
hardly  yet  out  of  danger." 

"  0, 1  wish  he  was  well.     And  when  will  vou 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  145 

let  me  come  to  him,  Osmond  ?  Indeed,  I  would 
sit  quiet  and  not  disturb  him  ! " 

"  It  may  not  be  yet,  my  Lord,  though  the 
Duke  loves  you  well,  he  told  me  so  but  now." 

"  Did  he  ?  0  tell  him  I  love  him  very  much, 
better  than  any  one  here,  and  it  is  very  dull 
without  him.     Tell  him  so,  Osmond." 

Richard  could  hardly  help  calling  out  to  his 
dear  little  Carloman,  but  he  remembered  the 
peril  of  Osmond's  eyes  and  the  Queen's  threat, 
and  held  his  peace,  with  some  vague  notion  that 
some  day  he  would  make  Carloman  King  of 
France.  In  the  meantime,  half  stifled  with 
straw,  he  felt  himself  carried  on,  down  the  steps, 
across  the  court,  and  then  he  knew,  from  the 
darkness  and  the  changed  sound  of  Osmond's 
tread,  that  they  were  in  the  stable  ;  Osmond 
laid  him  carefully  down  and  whispered — 

"  All  right,  so  far.     You  can  breathe  ?  " 

"  Not  well.     Can't  you  let  me  out  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  not  for  worlds.  Now,  tell  me  if 
I  put  your  face  downwards,  for  I  cannot  see." 

He  laid  the  living  heap  of  straw  across  the 
saddle,  bound  it  on,  then  led  out  the  horse,  gaz- 
ing round  cautiously  as  he  did  so,  but  the  whole 
of  the  people  of  the  castle  were  feasting,  and 
there  was  no  one  to  watch  the  gates.  Richard 
7 


40 
146  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

heard  the  hollow  sound  of  the  hoofs  as  the  draw- 
bridge was  crossed,  and  knew  that  he  was  free, 
but  still  Osmond  held  his  arm  over  him,  and 
would  not  let  him  move  for  some  distance. 
Then,  just  as  Kichard  felt  as  if  he  could  endure 
the  stifling  of  the  straw,  and  his  uncomfortable 
position,  not  a  moment  longer,  Osmond  stopped 
the  horse,  took  him  down,  laid  him  on  the  grass, 
and  released  him.  He  gazed  round — they  were 
in  a  little  wood — evening  twilight  was  just  com- 
ing on,  and  the  birds  sang  sweetly. 

"  Free  !  free  !  this  is  freedom  !  "  cried  Rich- 
ard, leaping  up  in  the  delicious  cool  evening 
breeze;  "  the  Queen  and  Lothaire,  and  that 
grim  room  all  far  behind  !  " 

"  Not  so  far  yet,"  said  Osmond.  "  You  must 
not  call  yourself  safe  till  the  Epte  is  between  us 
and  them.  Into  the  saddle,  my  Lord,  we  must 
ride  for  our  lives." 

Osmond  helped  the  Duke  to  mount,  and 
sprang  to  the  saddle  behind  him,  set  spurs  to 
the  horse,  and  rode  on  at  a  quick  rate,  though 
not  at  full  speed,  as  he  wished  to  spare  the 
horse.  The  twilight  faded,  the  stars  came  out, 
and  still  he  rode,  his  arm  round  the  child,  who, 
as  night  advanced,  grew  weary,  and  often  sunk 
into  a  sort  of  half  doze,  conscious  all  the  time 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  147 

of  the  trot  of  the  horse.  But  each  step  was 
taking  him  further  from  Queen  Gerberge  and 
nearer  to  Normandy,  and  what  recked  he  of 
weariness?  On — on — the  stars  grew  pale  again, 
and  the  first  pink  light  of  dawn  showed  in  the 
eastern  sky  ;  the  sun  rose,  mounted  higher  and 
higher,  and  the  day  grew  hotter,  the  horse  went 
more  slowly,  stumbled,  and  though  Osmond 
halted  and  loosed  the  girth,  he  only  mended  his 
pace  for  a  little  while. 

Osmond  looked  grievously  perplexed,  but 
they  had  not  gone  much  further  before  a  party 
of  merchants  came  in  sight,  winding  their  way 
with  a  long  train  of  loaded  mules,  and  stout 
men  to  guard  them,  across  the  plains,  like  an 
eastern  caravan  in  the  desert.  They  gazed  in 
surprise  at  the  tall  young  Norman  holding  the 
child  up  on  the  worn-out  war-horse. 

"  Sir  merchant,"  said  Osmond  to  the  first ; 
"  see  you  this  steed  ?  Better  horse  never  was 
ridden,  but  he  is  sorely  spent,  and  we  must 
make  speed.  Let  me  barter  him  with  you  for 
yonder  stout  palfrey.  He  is  worth  twice  as 
much,  but  I  cannot  stop  to  chaffer — aye  or  no 
at  once." 

The  merchant,  seeing  the  value  of  Osmond's 
gallant  black,  accepted  the  offer,  and  Osmond, 


148  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

removing  his  saddle,  and  placing  Richard  on  his 
new  steed,  again  mounted,  and  on  they  went, 
through  the  country  which  Osmond's  eye  had 
marked  with  the  sagacity  men  acquire  by  living 
in  wild  unsettled  places.  The  great  marshes  were 
now  far  less  dangerous  than  in  the  winter,  and 
they  safely  crossed  them.  There  had  as  yet  been 
no  pursuit,  and  Osmond's  only  fear  was  for  his 
little  charge,  who,  not  having  recovered  his  full 
strength  since  his  illness,  began  to  suffer  greatly 
from  fatigue  in  the  heat  of  that  broiling  sum- 
mer day,  and  leant  against  Osmond  patiently,  but 
very  wearily,  without  moving  or  looking  up.  He 
scarcely  revived  when  the  sun  went  down,  and  a 
cool  breeze  sprang  up  which  much  refreshed  Os- 
mond himself.  And  still  more  did  it  refresh  the 
squire  to  see,  at  length,  winding  through  the  green 
pastures,  a  blue  river,  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
which  rose  a  high  rocky  mound,  bearing  a  castle 
with  many  a  turret  and  battlement. 

"  The  Epte  !  The  Epte  !     There  is  Norman- 
dy, Sir.     Look  up,  and  see  your  own  dukedom." 
"  Normandy  !  "  cried  Richard,  sitting  upright. 
"  0,  my  own  home  !  " 

Still  the  Epte  was  wide  and  deep,  and  the 
peril  was  not  yet  ended.  Osmond  looked  anx- 
iously, and  rejoiced  to  see  marks  of  cattle,  as  if  it 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  149 

had  been  forded.  "  We  must  try  it,"  he  said, 
and  dismounting,  he  waded  in,  leading  the  horse, 
and  firmly  holding  Richard  in  the  saddle.  Deep 
they  went,  the  water  rose  to  Richard's  feet,  then 
to  the  horse's  neck,  then  the  horse  was  swimming, 
and  Osmond  too,  still  keeping  his  firm  hold — then 
there  was  ground  again,  the  force  of  the  current 
was  less,  and  they  were  gaining  the  bank.  At 
that  instant,  however,  they  perceived  two  men 
aiming  at  them  with  cross-bows  from  the  castle, 
and  another  standing  on  the  bank  above  them, 
who  called  out,  "  Hold  !  none  passes  the  ford  of 
Montemar  without  permission  of  the  noble  Dame 
Yolande." 

"  Ha  !  Bertrand  the  Seneschal,  is  that 
you  ?  "  returned  Osmond. 

u  Who  calls  me  by  my  name  ?  "  replied  the 
Seneschal. 

"  It  is  I,  Osmond  de  Centeville.  Open  your 
gates  quickly,  Sir  Seneschal,  for  here  is  the  Duke, 
sorely  in  need  of  rest  and  refreshment/' 

"  The  Duke  !  "  exclaimed  Bertrand,  hurrying 
down  to  the  landing-place,  and  throwing  off  his 
cap. 

"  The  Duke!  the  Duke  !  "  rang  out  the  shout 
from  the  men-at-arms  on  the  battlements  above, 
and  in  an  instant  more  Osmond  had  led  the  horse 


150  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

up  from  the  water,  and  was  exclaiming,  "  Look 
up,  my  Lord,  look  up  ;  you  are  in  your  own  duke- 
dom again,  and  this  is  Alberic's  castle  !  " 

"  Welcome,  indeed,  most  noble  Lord  Duke  ! 
Blessings  on  the  day !  "  cried  the  Seneschal. 
"  What  joy  for  my  Lady  and  my  young  Lord  !  " 

"  He  is  sorely  weary,"  said  Osmond,  looking 
anxiously  at  Kichard,  who,  even  at  the  welcome 
cries  that  showed  so  plainly  that  he  was  in  his 
own  Normandy,  scarcely  raised  himself  or  spoke. 
"  He  had  been  very  sick  ere  I  brought  him  away. 
I  doubt  me  they  sought  to  poison  him,  and  I 
vowed  not  to  tarry  at  Laon  another  hour  after  he 
was  fit  to  move.  But  cheer  up,  my  Lord,  you 
are  safe  and  free  now,  and  here  is  the  good  Dame 
de  Montemar,  to  tend  you,  far  better  than  a  rude 
squire  like  me." 

"  Alas  !  no,"  said  the  Seneschal,  "  our  Dame 
is  gone  with  young  Alberic  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
Jumieges,  to  pray  for  the  Duke's  safety.  What 
joy  for  them  to  know  that  their  prayers  have  been 
granted." 

Osmond,  however,  could  scarcely  rejoice,  so 
alarmed  was  he  at  the  extreme  weariness  and 
exhaustion  of  his  charge,  who,  when  they  brought 
him  into  the  castle  hall,  hardly  spoke  or  looked, 
and  could  not   eat.     They  carried  him  up    to 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  151 

Alberic's  bed,  where  he  tossed  about  restlessly,  too 
tired  to  sleep. 

"  Alas  !  alas  !  M  said  Osmond,  "  I  have  been 
too  hasty  !  I  have  but  saved  him  from  the  Franks 
to  be  his  death  by  my  own  imprudence." 

"  Hush  !  Sieur  de  Centeville,  "  said  the  Sen- 
eschal's wife,  coming  into  the  room,  "  to  talk 
in  that  manner  is  the  way  to  be  his  death,  in- 
deed. Leave  the  child  to  me,  he  is  only  over- 
weary." 

Osmond  was  sure  his  Duke  was  among  friends, 
and  would  have  been  glad  to  trust  him  to  a  wo- 
man, but  Richard  had  but  one  instinct  left  in 
all  his  weakness  and  exhaustion,  to  cling  close  to 
Osmond,  as  if  he  felt  him  his  only  friend  and  pro- 
tector, for  he  was  as  yet  too  much  worn  out  to 
understand  that  he  was  in  Normandy  and  safe. 
For  two  or  three  hours,  therefore,  Osmond  and 
the  Seneschal's  wife  watched  on  each  side  of  his 
bed,  soothing  his  restlessness,  until  at  length  he 
became  quiet,  and  at  last  dropped  sound  asleep. 

The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  when  Rich- 
ard awoke.  He  turned  on  his  straw-filled  crib 
and  looked  up.  It  was  not  the  tapestried  walls 
of  his  chamber  at  Laon  that  met  his  opening 
eyes,  but  the  rugged  stone  and  tall  loop-hole 
window  of  a  turret  chamber.    Osmond  de  Cente- 


152  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

ville  lay  on  the  floor  by  his  side,  in  the  sound 
sleep  of  one  overcome  by  long  watching  and  weari- 
ness.    And  what  more  did  Kichard  see  ? 

It  was  the  bright  face  and  sparkling  eyes  of 
Alberic  de  Monternar,  who  was  leaning  against 
the  foot  of  his  bed,  gazing  earnestly  as  he  watched 
for  his  waking.  There  was  a  cry,  "  Alberic  ! 
Alberic  I "  "  My  Lord,  my  Lord."  Richard  sat 
up  and  held  out  both  arms,  and  Alberic  flung 
himself  into  them.  They  hugged  each  other, 
and  uttered  broken  exclamations,  and  screams  of 
joy,  enough  to  have  awakened  any  sleeper  but 
one  so  wearied  out  as  Osmond. 

"  And  is  it  true  ?  Oh  !  am  I  really  in  Nor- 
mandy again  ?  "  cried  Richard. 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  Oh,  yes,  my  Lord.  You  are  at 
Monternar.  Every  thing  here  is  yours.  The  bar- 
tailed  hawk  is  quite  well,  and  my  mother  will  be 
here  this  evening,  she  let  me  ride  on  the  instant 
we  heard  the  news  !  " 

a  We  rode  long  and  late,  and  I  was  very 
weary  \"  said  Richard,  "but  I  don't  care,  now 
we  are  at  home.  But  I  can  hardly  believe  it ! 
0  Alberic,  it  has  been  very  dreary." 

"  See  here,  my  Lord  !  "  said  Alberic,  standing 
by  the  window.  "  Look  here,  and  you  will  know 
you  are  at  home  again." 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  153 

Richard  bounded  to  the  window,  and  what  a 
sight  met  his  eyes  ! 

The  castle  court  was  thronged  with  men-at- 
arms  and  horses,  the  morning  sun  sparkling  on 
many  a  burnished  hauberk  and  tall  conical  hel- 
met, and  above  them  waved  many  a  banner  and 
pennon  that  Richard  knew  full  well.  "  There  ! 
there  !  "  he  shouted  aloud  with  glee.  "  0,  there 
is  the  horse-shoe  of  Ferrieres  !  and  there  the 
chequers  of  Warrenne  !  0,  and  best  of  all !  there 
is — there  is  our  own  red  pennon  of  Centeville  ! 
0  Alberic  !  Alberic  !  is  Sir  Eric  here?  I  must 
go  down  to  him  !  " 

"  Bertrand  sent  out  notice  to  them  all,  as 
soon  as  you  came,  to  come  and  guard  our  castle  ! " 
said  Alberic,  "  lest  the  Franks  should  pursue 
you  ;  but  you  are  now  safe,  safe  as  Norman 
spears  can  make  you — thanks  be  to  God." 

"  Yes,  thanks  to  God  !  "  said  Richard,  cross- 
ing himself,  and  kneeling  reverently  for  some 
minutes,  while  he  repeated  his  Latin  prayer, 
then,  rising  and  looking  at  Alberic,  he  said,  "  I 
must  thank  Him  indeed,  for  he  has  saved  Os- 
mond and  me  from  the  cruel  King  and  Queen, 
and  I  must  try  to  be  a  less  hasty  and  overbear- 
ing boy  than  I  was  when  I  went  away,  for  I 
vowed  that  so  I  would  be,  if  ever  I  came  back. 
7* 


154  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

Poor  Osmond,  how  sound  he  sleeps  !      Come, 
Alberic,  show  me  the  way  to  Sir  Eric  !  " 

And  holding  Alberic's  hand,  Eichard  left 
the  room,  and  descended  the  stairs  to  the  castle 
hall.  Many  of  the  Norman  Knights  and  Barons 
in  full  armour  were  gathered  there,  but  Eichard 
looked  for  only  one  ;  he  knew  Sir  Eric's  grizzled 
hair,  and  blue  inlaid  armour,  though  his  back 
was  towards  him,  and  in  a  moment,  before  his 
entrance  had  been  perceived,  he  sprang  towards 
him,  and  with  outstretched  arms,  exclaimed, 
"  Sir  Eric,  dear  Sir  Eric,  here  I  am  !  Osmond 
is  safe  !  and  is  Fru  Astrida  well  ?  " 

The  old  Baron  turned — "  My  child  !  "  he 
exclaimed,  and  clasped  him  in  his  mailed  arms, 
while  the  tears  flowed  down  his  rugged  cheeks, 
"  Blessed  be  God  that  you  are  safe,  and  that 
my  son  has  done  his  duty  ! " 

"  And  is  Fru  Astrida  well  ?  " 

u  Yes,  right  well,  since  she  heard  of  your 
safety.  But,  look  round,  my  Lord,  it  befits  not 
a  Duke  to  be  clinging  thus  round  an  old  man's 
neck.  See  how  many  of  your  true  vassals  be 
here  to  guard  you  from  the  villain  Franks." 

Eichard  stood  up,  and  held  out  his  hand, 
bowing  courteously,  and  acknowledging  the 
greetings  of  each  bold  Baron,  with  a  grace  and 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  155 

readiness  he  certainly  had  not  when  he  left  Nor- 
mandy. He  was  taller  too,  and  though  still 
pale,  and  not  dressed  with  much  care,  (since  he 
had  hurried  on  his  clothes  with  no  help  but 
Alberic's),  though  his  hair  was  rough  and  dis- 
ordered, and  the  scar«of  the  burn  had  not  yet 
laded  from  his  cheek,  yet  still,  with  his  bright 
blue  eyes,  glad  face,  and  upright  form,  he  was  a 
princely,  promising  boy,  and  the  Norman  Knights 
looked  at  him  with  pride  and  joy,  more  especially 
when,  unprompted,  he  said,  "  I  thank  you, 
gallant  Knights,  for  coming  to  guard  me.  I  do 
not  fear  the  whole  French  host,  now  I  am  among 
my  own  true  Normans." 

Sir  Eric  led  him  to  the  door  of  the  hall  to 
the  top  of  the  steps,  that  the  men-at-arms 
might  see  him,  and  then  such  a  shout  rang  out 
of — "  Long  live  Duke  Richard  !  Blessings  on 
the  little  Duke," — that  it  echoed,  and  came 
back  again  from  the  hills  around — it  pealed 
from  the  old  tower — it  roused  Osmond  from  his 
sleep,  and  if  any  thing  more  had  been  wanting 
to  do  so,  it  made  Richard  feel  that  he  was 
indeed  in  a  land  where  every  heart  glowed  with 
loyal  love  for  him. 

Before  the  shout  had  died  away,  a  bugle- 
horn  was  heard  winded  before  the  gate,  and  Sir 


156  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

Eric,  saying,  "  It  is  the  Count  of  Harcourt's 
note,"  sent  Bertrand  to  open  the  gates  in  haste, 
while  Alberic  followed,  as  Lord  of  the  castle,  to 
receive  the  Count. 

The  old  Count  rode  into  the  court,  and  to 
the  foot  of  the  steps,  where  he  dismounted, 
Alberic  holding  his  stirrup.  He  had  not  taken 
many  steps  upwards  before  Kichard  came  volun- 
tarily to  meet  him  (which  he  had  never  done 
before),  held  out  his  hand,  and  said,  "Welcome, 
Count  Bernard,  welcome  !  Thank  you  for  com- 
ing to  guard  me.  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you 
once  more." 

"  Ah  !  my  young  Lord,"  said  Bernard,  "  I 
am  right  glad  to  see  you  out  of  the  clutches  of 
the  Franks.  You  know  friend  from  foe  now, 
methinks." 

"  Yes,  indeed  I  do,  Count  Bernard.  I  know 
you  meant  kindly  by  me,  and  that  I  ought  to 
have  thanked  you,  and  not  been  angry  when  you 
reproved  me.  Wait  one  moment,  Sir  Count  ; 
there  is  one  thing  that  I  promised  myself  to  say, 
if  ever  I  came  safe  to  my  own  dear  home. 
Walter, — Maurice, — Jeannot, — all  you  of  my 
household,  and  of  Sir  Eric's — I  know  before  I 
went  away  I  was  often  no  good  Lord  to  you.  I 
was  passionate,  and  proud,  and  overbearing ;  but 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  157 

God  has  punished  me  for  it,  when  I  was  far 
away,  among  my  enemies,  and  sick  and  lonely  ; 
I  am  very  sorry  for  it,  and  I  hope  you  will  pardon 
me,  for  I  will  strive,  and  I  hope  God  will  help 
me,  never  to  be  proud  and  passionate  again." 

"  There,  Sir  Eric/''  said  Bernard,  "  you  hear 
what  the  boy  says.  If  he  speaks  it  out  so  bold 
and  free,  without  bidding,  and  if  he  holds  to 
what  he  says,  I  doubt  it  not  that  he  shall  not 
grieve  for  his  journey  to  France,  and  that  we 
shall  see  him,  in  all  things,  such  a  Prince  as  his 
father  of  blessed  memory/' 

"  You  must  thank  Osmond  for  me,"  said 
Kichard,  as  Osmond  came  down,  awakened  at 
length.  "  It  is  Osmond  who  has  helped  me  to 
bear  my  troubles  ;  and  as  to  saving  me,  why  he 
flew  away  with  me  even  like  an  old  eagle  with 
its  eaglet.  I  say,  Osmond,  you  must  ever  after 
this  wear  a  pair  of  wings  on  shield  and  pennon, 
to  show  how  well  we  managed  our  flight."  15 

"  As  you  will,  my  Lord,"  said  Osmond,  half 
asleep,  "  but  'twas  a  good  long  flight  at  a  stretch, 
and  I  trust  never  to  have  to  fly  before  your  foes 
or  mine  again." 

What  a  glad  summer' s-day  was  that !  Even 
the  three  hours  spent  in  council,  did  but  renew 
the  relish  with  which  Eichard  visited  Alberic's 


158  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

treasures,  told  his  adventures,  and  showed  the 
accomplishments  he  had  learnt  at  Laon.  The 
evening  was  more  joyous  still,  for  the  castle  gates 
were  opened,  first  to  receive  Dame  Yolande  de 
Monte'rnar,  and  not  above  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
afterwards,  the  drawbridge  was  lowered  to  admit 
the  followers  of  Centeville,  and  in  front  of  them 
ajDpeared  Fru  Astrida's  own  high  cap  ;  Richard 
made  but  one  bound  into  her  arms,  and  was 
clasped  to  her  breast,  then  held  off  at  arms'- 
length,  that  she  might  see  how  much  he  was 
grown,  and  pity  his  scar,  then  hugged  closer 
than  ever  !  but  taking  another  look,  she  declared 
that  Osmond  left  his  hair  like  King  Harald 
Horrid-locks  ; 16  and  drawing  an  ivory  comb  from 
her  pouch,  began  to  pull  out  the  thick  tangles, 
hurting  him  to  a  degree  that  would  once  have 
made  him  rebel,  but  now  he  only  fondled  her 
the  more. 

As  to  Osmond,  when  he  knelt  before  her,  she 
blessed  him  and  sobbed  over  him,  and  blamed 
him  for  over-tiring  her  darling,  all  iu  one  ;  and 
assuredly  when  night  closed  in,  and  Richard  had, 
as  of  old,  told  his  beads  beside  her  knee,  the 
happiest  boy  in  Normandy  was  its  little  Duke. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Montemar  was  too  near  the  frontier  to  be  a 
safe  abode  for  the  little  Duke,  and  his  uncle, 
Count  Hubert  of  Senlis,  agreed  with  Bernard 
the  Dane,  that  he  would  be  more  secure  beyond 
the  limits  of  his  own  duchy,  which  was  likely 
soon  to  be  the  scene  of  war,  and  sorely  against 
his  will,  he  was  sent  in  secret,  under  a  strong 
escort,  first  to  the  castle  of  Coucy,  and  after- 
wards to  Senlis. 

His  consolation  was,  that  he  was  not  again 
separated  from  his  friends  ;  Alberic,  Sir  Eric, 
and  even  Fru  Astrida  accompanied  him,  as  well 
as  his  constant  follower,  Osmond.  Indeed,  the 
Baron  would  hardly  bear  that  he  should  be  out 
of  his  sight,  and  he  was  so  carefully  watched, 
that  it  was  almost  like  captivity.  Never,  even 
in  the  summer-days,  was  he  allowed  to  go  beyond 
the  castle  walls,  and  his  guardians  would  fain 
have  had  it  supposed  that  the  castle  did  not  con- 
tain any  such  guest. 


160  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

Osmond  did  not  give  him  so  much  of  his 
company  as  usual,  but  was  always  at  work  in 
the  armourer's  forge,  a  low  vaulted  chamber, 
opening  into  the  castle  court.  Kichard  and 
Alberic  were  very  curious  to  know  what  he  did 
there,  but  he  fastened  the  door  with  an  iron 
bar,  and  they  were  forced  to  content  themselves 
with  listening  to  the  strokes  of  the  hammer, 
keeping  time  to  the  voices  that  sang  out  loud 
and  cheerily,  the  song  of  "  Sigurd's  sword,  and  ' 
the  maiden  sleeping  within  the  ring  of  flame. " 
Fru  Astrida  said  Osmond  was  quite  right,  no 
good  weapon-smith  ever  toiled  with  open  doors, 
and  when  the  boys  asked  him  questions  as  to 
his  work,  he  only  smiled,  and  said  that  they 
should  see  what  it  was  when  the  call  to  arms 
should  come. 

They  thought  it  near  at  hand,  for  tidings 
came  that  Louis  had  assembled  an  army,  and 
marched  into  Normandy  to  recover  the  person 
of  the  young  Duke,  and  to  seize  the  country. 
No  summons,  however,  arrived,  but  a  message 
came  instead,  that  Kouen  had  been  surrendered 
into  the  hands  of  the  King.  Kichard  shed 
indignant  tears.  "  My  father's  castle  !  My 
own  city  in  the  hands  of  the  foe  !     Bernard  is  a 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  161 

traitor  then  !  None  shall  hinder  me  from  so 
calling  him.     Why  did  we  trust  him  ?  " 

"Never  fear,  Lord  Duke,"  said  Osmond, 
"  when  you  come  to  the  years  of  Knighthood, 
your  own  sword  shall  right  you,  in  spite  of  all 
the  false  Danes,  and  falser  Franks  in  the  land." 

"  What,  you  too,  son  Osmond  ?  I  deemed 
you  carried  a  cooler  brain  than  to  miscall  one 
who  was  true  to  Hollo's  race  before  you  or  yon 
varlet  were  born  ! "  said  the  old  Baron. 

"  He  has  yielded  my  dukedom  !  It  is  mis- 
calling to  say  he  is  aught  but  a  traitor  ! "  cried 
Kichard,  "  Vile,  treacherous,  favour  seeking — '.' 

"  Peace,  peace,  my  Lord,"  said  the  Baron, 
"  Bernard  has  more  in  that  wary  head  of  his, 
than  your  young  wits,  or  my  old  ones,  can  un- 
wind. What  he  is  doing,  I  may  not  guess,  but 
I  gage  my  life  his  heart  is  right." 

Kichard  was  silent,  remembering  he  had 
been  once  unjust,  but  he  grieved  heartily  when 
he  thought  of  the  French  in  Hollo's  tower,  and 
it  was  further  reported  that  the  King  was  about 
to  share  Normandy  among  his  French  vassals. 
A  fresh  outcry  broke  out  in  the  little  garrison 
of  Senlis,  but  Sir  Eric  still  persisted  in  his  trust 
in  his  friend  Bernard,  even  when  he  heard  that 
Centeville  was  marked  out  as  the  prey  of  the  fat 


162  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

French  Count  who  had  served  for  a  hostage  at 
Rouen. 

"  What  say  you  now,  my  Lord  ?  "  said  he, 
after  a  conference  with  a  messenger  at  the  gate. 
"  The  Black  Raven  has  spread  its  wings.  Fifty 
keels  are  in  the  Seine,  and  Harald  Blue- tooth's 
Long  Serpent  at  the  head  of  them." 

"  The  King  of  Denmark  !  Come  to  my 
aid  ?  " 

"  Aye,  that  he  is  !  Come  at  Bernard's 
secret  call,  to  right  you,  and  put  you  on  your 
father's  seat.  Now  call  honest  Harcourt  a 
traitor,  because  he  gave  not  up  your  fair  duke- 
dom to  the  flame  and  the  sword." 

u  No  traitor  to  me,"  said  Richard,  pausing. 

"  No  verily,  but  what  more  would  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  think,  when  I  come  to  my  dukedom,  I 
will  not  be  so  politic,"  said  Richard,  "  I  will  be 
an  open  friend  or  an  open  foe." 

"  The  boy  grows  too  sharp  for  us,"  said  Sir 
Eric,  smiling,  "but  it  was  spoken  like  his 
father." 

"  He  grows  like  his  blessed  father  each  day," 
said  Fru  Astrida. 

"  But  the  Danes,  father,  the  Danes  !  "  said 
Osmond.  "  Blows  will  be  passing  now,  I  may 
join  the  host  and  win  my  spurs." 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  163 

Cl  With  all  my  heart/'  returned  the  Baron, 
"  so  my  Lord  here  gives  you  leave  :  would  that 
I  could  leave  him  and  go  with  you.  It  would 
do  my  very  spirit  good  but  to  set  foot  in  a 
Northern  keel  once  more." 

"  I  would  fain  see  what  these  men  of  the 
North  are,  "  said  Osmond. 

"  Oh  !  they  are  only  Danes,  not  Norsemen, 
and  there  are  no  Vikings,  such  as  once  were 
when  Kagnar  laid  waste — " 

"  Son,  son,  what  talk  is  this  for  the  child's 
ears  ?  "  broke  in  Fru  Astrida,  "  are  these  words 
for  a  Christian  Baron  ?  " 

"  Your  pardon,  mother,"  said  the  grey  war- 
rior in  all  humility,  "  but  my  blood  thrills  to 
hear  of  a  Northern  fleet  at  hand,  and  to  think 
of  Osmond  drawing  sword  under  a   Sea-King." 

The  next  morning,  Osmond's  steed  was  led 
to  the  door,  and  such  men-at-arms  as  could  be 
spared  from  the  garrison  of  Senlis,  were  drawn 
up  in  readiness  to  accompany  him.  The  boys 
stood  on  the  steps,  wishing  they  were  old  enough 
to  be  warriors,  and  wondering  what  had  become 
of  him,  until  at  length  the  sound  of  an  opening 
door  startled  them,  and  there,  in  the  low  arch- 
way of  the  smithy,  the  red  furnace  glowing  be- 
hind him,  stood  Osmond,  clad  in  bright   steel, 


164  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

the  links  of  his  hauberk  reflecting  the  light,  and 
on  his  helmet  a  pair  of  golden  wings,  while  the 
same  device  adorned  his  long  pointed  kite-shaped 
shield. 

"  Your  wings  !  our  wings  !  "  cried  Richard, 
"  the  bearing  of  Centeville  !  ". 

"  May  they  fly  after  the  foe,  not  before  him," 
said  Sir  Eric.  "  Speed  thee  well,  my  son,  let 
not  our  Danish  cousins  say  we  learn  Frank 
graces  instead  of  Northern  blows/5 

With  such  farewells,  Osmond  quitted  -Senlis, 
while  the  two  boys  hastened  to  the  battlements, 
to  watch  him  as  long  as  he  remained  in  view. 

The  highest  tower  became  their  principal 
resort,  and  their  eyes  were  constantly  on  the 
heath  where  he  had  disappeared ;  but  days 
passed,  and  they  grew  weary  of  the  watch,  and 
betook  themselves  to  games  in  the  castle  court. 

One  day,  Alberic  in  the  character  of  a  Dra- 
gon, was  lying  on  his  back  panting  hard,  so  as 
to  be  supposed  to  cast  out  volumes  of  flame  and 
smoke  at  Richard,  the  Knight,  who  with  a  stick 
for  a  lance,  and  a  wooden  sword,  was  waging 
fierce  war ;  when  suddeDly  the  Dragon  paused, 
sat  up,  and  pointed  towards  the  warder  on  the 
tower.  His  horn  was  at  his  lips,  and  in  another 
moment,  the  blast  rang  out  through  the  castle. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  165 

With  a  loud  shout,  both  boys  rushed  head- 
long up  the  turret  stairs,  and  came  to  the  top 
so  breathless,  that  they  could  not  even  ask  the 
warder  what  he  saw.  He  pointed,  and  the  keen- 
eyed  Alberic  exclaimed,  "  I  see,  look,  my  Lord, 
a  speck  there  on  the  heath  !  " 

"  I  do  not  see  !  where,  0  where  ?  " 

"  He  is  behind  the  hillock  now,  but Oh, 

there  again  !     How  fast  he  comes  !  " 

"It  is  like  the  flight  of  a  bird,"  said 
Kichard,  "fast,  fast — *' 

"  If  only  it  be  not  flight  in  earnest  ! "  said 
Alberic,  a  little  anxiously  looking  into  the  war- 
der's face  ;  for  he  was  a  borderer,  and  tales  of 
terror  of  the  inroad  of  the  Vicomte  du  Cotentin 
were  rife  on  the  marches  of  the  Epte. 

"  No,  young  Sir,"  said  the  warder,  "  no  fear 
of  that.  I  know  how  men  ride  when  they  flee 
from  the  battle." 

"  No,  indeed,  there  is  no  discomfiture  in  the 
pace  of  that  steed,"  said  Sir  Eric,  who  had  by 
this  time  joined  them. 

"  I  see  him  clearer  !  I  see  the  horse,"  cried 
Kichard,  dancing  with  eagerness,  so  that  Sir  Eric 
caught  hold  of  him,  exclaiming,  "  You  will  be 
over  the  battlements  !  Hold  still !  Better  hear 
of  a  battle  lost  than  that." 


u 


166  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  He  bears  somewhat  in  his  hand,  "  said 
Alberic. 

A  banner  or  pennon/'  said   the  warder  ; 
methinks,  he  rides  like  the  young  Baron." 

"  He  does  !  My  brave  boy  !  He  has  done 
good  service/'  exclaimed  Sir  Eric,  as  the  figure 
became  more  developed.  "  The  Danes  have 
seen  how  we  train  our  young  men." 

"  His  wings  bring  good  tidings/'  said  Bichard. 
"  Let  me  go,  Sir  Eric  ;  I  must  tell  Fru  As- 
trida." 

The  drawbridge  was  lowered,  the  portcullis 
raised,  and  as  all  the  dwellers  in  the  castle  stood 
gathered  in  the  court,  in  rode  the  warrior  with 
the  winged  helm,  bearing  in  his  hand  a  drooping 
banner  ;  lowering  it  as  he  entered,  it  unfolded, 
and  displayed,  trailing  on  the  ground,  at  the 
feet  of  the  little  Duke  of  Normandy,  the  golden 
lilies  of  France. 

A  shout  of  amazement  arose,  and  all 
gathered  round  him,  asking  hurried  questions. 
A  great  victory — the  King  a  prisoner — Montreuil 
slain  ! 

Kichard  would  not  be  denied  holding  his 
hand,  and  leading  him  to  the  hall,  and  there, 
sitting  around  him,  they  heard  his  tidings.    His 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  167 

father's  first  question  was,  what  he  thought  of 
their  kinsmen,  the  Danes  ? 

"  Rude  comrades,  father,  I  must  own,"  said 
Osmond,  smiling  and  shaking  his  head.  "  I 
could  not  pledge  them  in  a  skull-goblet — set  in 
gold  though  it  were." 

"  None  the  worse  warriors,"  said  Sir  Eric. 
"  Aye,  aye,  and  you  were  dainty,  and  brooked 
not  the  hearty  old  fashion  of  tearing  the  whole 
sheep  to  pieces.  You  must  needs  cut  your  por- 
tion with  the  fine  French  knife  at  your  girdle." 

Osmond  could  not  see  that  a  man  was  braver 
for  being  a  savage,  but  he  held  his  peace  ;  and 
Richard  impatiently  begged  to  hear  how  the 
battle  had  gone,  and  where  it  had  been  fought. 

"  On  the  bank  of  the  Dive,"  said  Osmond. 
"  Ah  !  father,  you  might  well  call  old  Harcourt 
wary,  his  name  might  better  have  been  Fox- 
heart,  than  Bear-heart  !  He  had  sent  to  the 
Franks  a  message  of  distress,  that  the  Danes 
were  on  him  in  full  force,  and  to  pray  them  to 
come  to  his  aid." 

"  I  trust  there  was  no  treachery  !  No  foul 
dealing  shall  be  wrought  in  my  name  !  "  ex- 
claimed Richard,  with  such  dignity  of  tone  and 
manner,  as  made  all  feel  he  was  indeed  their 
Duke,  and  forgot  his  tender  years. 


168  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  No,  or  should  I  tell  the  tale  with  joy  like 
this  ?  "  said  Osmond.  "  Bernard's  view  was  to 
bring  the  Kings  together,  and  let  Louis  see  you 
had  friends  to  maintain  your  right.  He  sought 
but  to  avoid  bloodshed."  . 

"  And  how  chanced  it  ?  " 

"  The  Danes  were  encamped  on  the  Dive, 
and  so  soon  as  the  French  came  in  sight,  Blue- 
tooth sent  a  messenger  to  Louis  to  summon  him 
to  quit  Neustria,  and  leave  it  to  you,  its  lawful 
owner.  Thereupon,  Louis  hoping  to  win  him 
over  with  wily  words,  invited  him  to  hold  a  per- 
sonal conference." 

"Where  were  you,  Osmond  ?" 

"  Where  I  had  scarce  patience  to  be.  Ber- 
nard had  gathered  all  of  us  honest  Normans 
together,  and  arranged  us  beneath  that  standard 
of  the  King,  as  if  to  repel  this  Danish  inroad. 
Oh  !  he  was  in  all  seeming,  hand-and-glove  with 
Louis,  guiding  him  by  his  council,  and  verily, 
seeming  his  friend  and  best  adviser.  But  in  one 
thing  he  could  not  prevail,  that  ungrateful  re- 
creant, Herluin  of  Montreuil  came  with  the 
King,  hoping,  it  seems,  to  get  his  share  of  our 
spoils,  and  when  Bernard  advised  the  King  to 
send  him  home,  since  no  true  Norman  could 
bear  the  sight  of  him,  the   hot-headed   Franks 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  169 

vowed  no  Norman  should  hinder  them  from 
bringing  whom  they  chose.  So  a  tent  was  set 
up  by  the  river  side,  wherein  the  two  Kings, 
with  Bernard,  Alan  of  Brittany,  and  Count 
Hugh,  held  their  meeting.  We  all  stood  without 
and  the  two  hosts  began  to  mingle  together,  we 
Normans  making  acquaintance  with  the  Danes. 
There  was  a  red-haired  wild-looking  fellow,  who 
told  me  he  had  been  with  AnlafF  in  England, 
and  spoke  much  of  the  doings  of  Hako  in  Nor- 
way, when  suddenly  he  pointed  to  a  Knight  who 
was  near,  speaking  to  a  Cotentinois,  and  asked 
me  his  name.  My  blood  boiled,  as  I  answered, 
for  it  was  Montreuil  himself !  '  The  cause  of 
your  Duke's  death  ! '  said  the  Dane.  -  Ha,  ye 
Normans  are  fallen  sons  of  Odin  to  see  him  yet 
live/  " 

"  You  said,  I  trust,  my  son,  that  we  follow 
not  the  laws  of  Odin  ?  "    said  Fru  Astrida. 

"  I  had  no  space  for  a  word,  grandmother, 
the  Danes  took  the  vengeance  on  themselves. 
In  one  moment  they  rushed  on  Herluin  with 
their  axes,  and  the  unhappy  man  was  dead.  AD 
was  tumult.  Every  one  struck  without  knowing 
at  whom,  or  for  what.  Some  shouted  Thor 
Hulfe,  some  Dieu  aide,  others  Monbjoie  St. 
Denis.      Northern   blood  against    French,   that 

8 


170  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

was  all  our  guide.  I  found  myself  at  the  foot 
of  this  standard,  and  had  a  hard  combat  for  it, 
but  I  bore  it  away  at  last/' 

"And  the  Kings  ?" 

"  They  hurried  out  of  the  tent,  it  seems,  to  re- 
join their  men.  Louis  mounted,  but  you  know  of 
old,  my  Lord,  he  is  but  an  indifferent  horseman, 
and  the  beast  carried  him  into  the  midst  of  the 
Danes,  where  King  Harald  caught  his  bridle, 
and  delivered  him  to  four  Knights  to  keep. 
Whether  he  dealt  secretly  with  them,  or  whether 
they,  as  they  declared,  lost  sight  of  him  whilst 
plundering  his  tent,  I  cannot  say ;  but  when 
Harald  demanded  him  of  them  he  was  gone  ! " 

"  Gone  !  is  this  what  you  call  having  the 
King  prisoner  ?  " 

u  You  shall  hear.  He  rode  four  leagues  and 
met  one  of  the  baser  sort  of  Eouennais,  whom 
he  bribed  to  hide  him  in  the  Isle  of  Willows. 
However,  Bernard  made  close  enquiries,  found 
the  fellow  had  been  seen  in  speech  with  a  French 
horseman,  pounced  on  his  wife  and  children,  and 
threatened  they  should  die  if  he  he  did  not  dis- 
close the  secret.  So  the  King  was  forced  to 
come  out  of  his  hiding-place,  and  is  now  fast 
guarded  in  Hollo's  tower;  a  Dane  with  a  battle- 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  171 

axe  on  his  shoulder  keeping  guard  at  every  turn 
of  the  stairs." 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  "  cried  Kichard.  "  I  wonder  how 
he  likes  it.  I  wonder  if  he  remembers  holding 
me  up  to  the  window,  and  vowing  that  he  meant 
me  only  good." 

"  When  you  believed  him,  my  Lord,"  said 
Osmond,  slyly. 

"I  was  a  little  boy  then,"  said  Kichard, 
proudly.  "  Why  the  very  walls  must  remind 
him  of  his  oath,  and  how  Count  Bernard  said,  as 
he  dealt  with  me,  so  might  Heaven  deal  with 
him." 

"  Kemember  it,  my  child,  beware  of  broken 
vows,"  said  Father  Lucas,  "  but  remember  it  not 
in  triumph  over  a  fallen  foe.  It  were  better 
that  all  came  at  once  to  the  Chapel,  to  bestow 
their  thanksgivings  where  alone  they  are  due." 


CHAPTEK  X. 

After  nearly  a  year's  captivity,  trie  King 
engaged  to  pay  a  ransom,  and  until  the  terms 
could  be  arranged,  his  two  sons  were  to  be 
placed  as  hostages  in  the  hands  of  the  Normans, 
whilst  he  returned  to  his  own  domains.  The 
Princes  were  to  be  sent  to  Bayeux ;  whither 
Richard  had  returned,  under  the  charge  of  the 
Centevilles,  and  was  now  allowed  to  ride  and 
walk  abroad  freely,  provided  he  was  accompanied 
by  a  guard. 

"  I  shall  rejoice  to  have  Carloman  and  make 
him  happy,"  said  Richard,  "  but  I  wish  Lothaire 
were  not  coming." 

"Perhaps,"  said  good  Father  Lucas,  "he 
comes  that  you  may  have  a  first  trial  in  your 
father's  last  lesson,  and  Abbot  Martin's,  and 
return  good  for  evil." 

The  Duke's  cheek  flushed  and  he  made  no 
answer. 

He   and   Alberic  betook   themselves  to  the 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  173 

watch-tower,  and,  by  and  bye,  saw  a  cavalcade 
approaching,  with  a  curtained  vehicle  in  the 
midst,  slung  between  two  horses.  "  That  cannot 
be  the  Princes/'  said  Alberic,  "that  must 
surely  be  some  sick  lady." 

"I  only  hope  it  is  not  the  Queen,"  ex- 
claimed Richard  in  dismay.  "  But  no !  Lo- 
thaire  is  such  a  coward  !  No  doubt  he  was  afraid 
to  ride,  and  she  would  not  trust  her  darling, 
without  shutting  him  up  like  a  demoiselle. 
But  come  down,  Alberic,  I  will  say  nothing  un- 
kind of  Lothaire,  if  I  can  help  it." 

Eichard  met  the  Princes  in  the  court,  his 
sunny  hair  uncovered,  and  bowing  with  such 
becoming  courtesy,  that  Fru  Astrida  pressed  her 
son's  arm,  and  bade  him  say  if  their  little  Duke 
was  not  the  fairest  and  noblest  :child  in  Chris- 
tendom. 

With  black  looks,  Lothaire  stepped  from 
the  litter,  took  no  heed  of  the  Little  Duke,  but 
roughly  calling  his  attendant  Chariot  to  follow 
him,  he  marched  into  the  hall,  vouchsafing 
neither  word  nor  look  to  any  as  he  passed,  threw 
himself  into  the  highest  seat,  and  ordered  Char- 
lot  to  bring  him  some  wine. 

Meanwhile,  Richard  looking  into  the  litter, 


174  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

saw  Carloman  crouching  in  a  corner,  sobbing 
with  fright. 

"  Carloman,  dear  Carloman,  do  not  cry  ! 
Come  out,  it  is  I,  your  own  Richard.  Will 
you  not  let  me  welcome  you  ?  " 

Carloman  looked  up,  caught  at  the  out- 
stretched hand,  and  clung  to  his  neck. 

"  Oh  Richard,  send  us  back,  do  not  let  the 
savage  Danes  kill  us." 

"No  one  will  hurt  you.  There  are  no 
Danes  here  ;  you  are  my  guest,  my  friend,  my 
brother.    Look  up,  here  is  my  own  Fru  Astrida." 

"  But  my  mother  said  the  Northmen  would 
kill  us  for  keeping  you  captive.  She  wept  and 
raved,  and  the  cruel  men  dragged  us  away  by 
force.     Oh,  let  us  go  back." 

"  I  cannot  do  that,"  said  Richard,  "  for  you 
are  the  King  of  Denmark's  captives,  not  mine  ; 
but  I  will  love  you,  "and  you  shall  have  all  that 
is  mine,  if  you  will  only  not  cry,  dear  Carloman. 
Oh,  Fru  Astrida,  what  shall  I  do  ?  You  com- 
fort him — "  as  the  poor  little  boy  clung  sob- 
bing to  him. 

Fru  Astrida  advanced  to  take  his  hand, 
speaking  in  a  soothing  voice,  but  he  shrank  and 
started  with  a  fresh  cry  of  terror,  her  tall  figure, 
high  cap,  and  wrinkled  face,  were  to  him  witch- 


THE   LITTLE   DUKE.  175 

like,  and  as  she  knew  no  French,  he  understood 
not  her  kind  words.  However,  he  let  Kichard 
lead  him  into  the  hall,  where  Lothaire  sat  mood- 
ily in  the  chair,  with  one  leg  tucked  under  him, 
and  his  ringer  in  his  month. 

"I  say,  Sir  Duke/'  said  he,  "is  there  noth- 
ing to  be  had  in  this  old  den  of  yours  ?  Not  a 
drop  of  Bourdeaux?" 

Kichard  tried  to  repress  his  anger  at  this 
uncivil  way  of  speaking,  and  answered,  that  he 
thought  there  was  none,  but  there  was  plenty 
of  Norman  cider. 

"As  if  I  would  taste  your  mean  peasant 
drinks  !  I  bade  them  bring  the  supper,  why 
does  it  not  come  ?  " 

Because  you  are  not  master  here,  trembled 
on  Kichard's  lips,  but  he  forced  it  back,  and 
answered  that  it  would  soon  be  ready,  and  Car- 
loman  looked  imploringly  at  his  brother  and 
said,  "  Do  not  make  them  angry,  Lothaire." 

"  What,  crying  still,  foolish  child  ?  "  said  Lo- 
thaire. "  Do  you  not  know  that  if  they  dare  to 
cross  us,  my  father  will  treat  them  as  they 
deserve?  Bring  supper,  and  let  me  have  a 
pasty  of  ortolans." 

"  There  are  none,  they  are  not  in  season," 
said  Kichard. 


176  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  give  me  nothing  I  like  ? 
I  tell  you  it  shall  be  the  worse  for  you." 

"  There  is  a  pullet  roasting,"  began  Richard. 

"I  tell  you,  I  do  not  care  for  pullets,  I 
will  have  ortolans." 

"If  I  do  not  take  order  with  that  boy,  my 
name  is  not  Eric,"  muttered  the  Baron. 

"  What  must  he  not  have  made  our  poor 
child  suffer  !  "  returned  Fru  Astrida,  "  but  the 
little  one  moves  my  heart.  How  small  and 
weakly  he  is,  but  it  is  worth  any  thing  to  see 
our  little  Duke  so  tender  to  him." 

"  He  is  too  brave  not  to  be  gentle,"  said 
Osmond  ;  and,  indeed,  the  high-spirited  impe- 
tuous boy  was  as  soft  and  kind  as  a  maiden, 
with  that  feeble  timid  child.  He  coaxed  him 
to  eat,  consoled  him,  and,  instead  of  laughing 
at  his  fears,  kept  between  him  and  the  great 
blood-hound,  Hardigras,  and  drove  it  off  when 
it  came  too -near. 

"  Take  that  dog  away,"  said  Lothaire,  im- 
periously. No  one  moved  to  obey  him,  and  the 
dog,  in  seeking  for  scraps,  again  came  towards 
him.  "  Take  it  away,"  he  repeated,  and  struck 
it  with  his  foot.  The  dog  growled,  and  Richard 
started  up  in  indignation. 

"Prince  Lothaire,"  he   said,  "I   care   not 


THE   LITTLE   DUKE.  177 

what  else  you  do,  but  my  dogs  and  my  people 
you  shall  not  maltreat." 

"  I  tell  you  I  am  Prince,  I  do  what  I  will  ! 
ha  !  who  laughs  there  ?  M  cried  the  passionate 
boy,  stamping  on  the  floor. 

"  It  is  not  so  easy  for  French  Princes  to 
scourge  freeborn  Normans  here/'  said  the  rough 
voice  of  Walter  the  huntsman  ;  "  there  is  a 
reckoning  for  the  stripe  my  Lord  Duke  bore  for 
me." 

"  Hush,  hush,  Walter,"  began  Kichard,  but 
Lothaire  had  ^caught  up  a  footstool,  and  was 
aiming  it  at  the  huntsman,  when  his  arm  was 
caught.  Osmond,  who  knew  him  well  enough 
to  be  prepared  for  some  such  outbreak,  held  him 
fast  by  both  hands,  in  spite  of  his  passionate 
screams  and  struggles,  which  were  like  those  of 
one  frantic. 

Sir  Eric,  meanwhile,  thundered  forth  in  his 
Norman  patois,  "I  would  have  you  to  know, 
young  Sir,  Prince  though  you  be,  you  are  our 
prisoner,  and  shall  taste  of  a  dungeon,  and  bread 
and  water,  unless  you  behave  yourself." 

Either   Lothaire   did   not   hear,   or  did  not 

believe,  and  fought  more  furiously  in  Osmond's 

arms,  but  he  had  little  chance  with  the  stalwart 

young  warrior,  and  in  spite  of  Kichard's  remon- 

8* 


178  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

strances,  he  was  carried  from  the  hall,  roaring 
and  kicking,  and  locked  up  alone  in  an  empty 
room. 

"  Let  him  alone  for  the  present,"  said  Sir 
Eric,  putting  the  Duke  aside,  "when  he  knows 
his  master,  we  shall  have  peace." 

Here  Kichard  had  to  turn,  to  re-assure  Car- 
\k>man,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  a  dark  corner, 
and  there  shook  like  an  aspen  leaf,  crying  bit- 
terly, and  starting  with  fright,  when  Kichard 
touched  him.  "  Oh  do  not  put  me  in  the  dun- 
geon, I  cannot  bear  the  dark." 

Kichard  again  tried  to  comfort  him,  but  he 
did  not  seem  to  hear  or  heed.  "  Oh  !  they  said 
you  would  beat  us  and  hurt  us  for  what  we  did 
to  you  !  but,  indeed,  it  was  not  I  that  burnt 
your  cheek  ! " 

"  We  would  not  hurt  you  for  worlds,  dear 
Carloman  :  Lothaire  is  not  in  the  dungeon,  he 
is  only  shut  up  till  he  is  good/' 

"  It  was  Lothaire  that  did  it,"  repeated  Car- 
loman, "and,  indeed,  you  must  not  be  angry 
with  me,  for  my  mother  was  so  cross  with  me 
for  not  having  stopped  Osmond  when  I  met  him 
with  the  bundle  of  straw,  that  she  gave  me  a 
blow,  that  knocked  me  down.  And  were  you 
really  there,  Richard  ?  " 


THE    LITTLE    DUK.E.  179 

Richard  told  his  story,  and  was  glad  to  find 
Carloman  could  smile  at  it  ;  and  then  Fru 
Astrida  advised  him  to  take  his  little  friend  to 
bed.  Carloman  would  not  lie  down  without  still 
holding  Richard's  hand,  and  the  little  Duke 
spared  no  pains  to  set  him  at  rest,  knowing  what 
it  was  to  be  a  desolate  captive  far  from  home. 

"  I  thought  you  would  be  good  to  me,"  said 
Carloman.  "  As  to  Lothaire,  it  serves  him  right 
that  you  should  use  him  as  he  used  you/' 

"  Oh,  no,  Carloman  ;  if  I  had  a  brother,  I 
would  never  speak  so  of  him." 

"  But  Lothaire  is  so  unkind/' 

"  Ah  !  but  we  must  be  kind  to  those  who 
are  unkind  to  us." 

The  child  rose  on  his  elbow,  and  looked  in- 
to Richard's  face.  "No  one  ever  told  me  so 
before."  • 

"  Oh,  Carloman,  not  Brother  Hilary  ?  " 

"  I  never  heed  Brother  Hilary,  he  is  so 
lengthy,  and  wearisome  ;  besides,  no  one  is  ever 
kind  to  those  that  hate  them." 

"  My  father  was,  said  Richard." 

"  And  they  killed  him  !  "  said  Carloman. 

"  Yes,"  said  Richard,  crossing  himself,  "  but 
he  is  gone  to  be  in  peace." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  is  happier  there,  than  here," 


180  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

said  Carloroan.  "  I  am  not  happy.  But  tell 
me  why  should  we  be  good  to  those  that  hate 
us  ?  "  " 

"  Because  the  Holy  Saints  were,  and  look 
at  the  Crucifix,  Carloman.  That  was  for  them 
that  hated  Him.  And,  don't  you  know  what 
our  Pater  Noster  says  ?  " 

Poor  little  Carloman  could  only  repeat  the 
Lord's  prayer  in  Latin  ;  he  had  not  the  least 
notion  of  its  meaning,  in  which  Richard  had 
been  carefully  instructed  by  Father  Lucas.  He 
began  to  explain  it,  but  before  many  words  had 
passed  his  lips,  little  Carloman  was  asleep. 

The  Duke  crept  softly  away  to  beg  to  be 
allowed  to  go  to  Lothaire  ;  he  entered  the  room, 
already  dark,  with  a  pine  torch  in  his  hand,  that 
so  flickered  in  the  wind,  that  he  could  at  first 
see  nothing,  but  presently  beheld  a  dark  lump 
on  the  floor. 

"  Prince  Lothaire/7  he  said,  "  here  is  — " 

Lothaire  cut  him  short.  "  Get  away,"  he 
said.  "  If  it  is  your  turn  now,  it  will  be  mine 
by  and  by.  I  wish  my  mother  had  kept  her 
word,  and  put  your  eyes  out." 

Richard's  temper  did  not  serve  for  such  a 
reply.  "It  is  a  foul  shame  of  you  to  speak  so, 
when  I  only  came  out  of  kindness  to  you,  so  I 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  181 

shall  leave  you  here  all  night,  and  not  ask  Sir 
Eric  to  let  you  out." 

And  he  swung  hack  the  heavy  door  with  a 
resounding  clang.  But  his  heart  smote  him 
when  he  told  his  beads,  and  remembered  what 
he  had  said  to  Carloman.  He  knew  he  could 
not  sleop  in  his  warm  bed  when  Lothaire  was  in 
that  cold  gusty  room.  To  be  sure,  Sir  Eric  said 
it  would  do  him  good,  but  Sir  Eric  little  knew 
how  tender  the  French  Princes  were. 

So  Kichard  crept  down  in  the  dark,  slid 
back  the  bolt,  and  called,  "  Prince,  Prince,  I  am 
sorry  I  was  angry.  Come  out  and  let  us  try 
to  be  friends." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  Lothaire. 

"  Come  out  of  the  cold  and  dark.  Here  am 
I.  I  will  show  you  the  way.  •  Where  is  your 
hand  ?  Oh  how  cold  it  is  !  Let  me  lead  you 
down  to  the  hall  fire." 

Lothaire  was  subdued  by  fright,  cold,  and 
darkness,  and  quietly  allowed  Kichard  to  lead 
him  down.  Kound  the  fire,  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  hall,  snored  half-a-dozen  men-at-arms  ;  at 
the  upper  hearth,  there  was  only  Hardigras,  who 
raised  his  head  as  the  boys  came  in.  Kichard' s 
whisper  and  soft  pat  quieted  him  instantly,  and 
the  two   young  Princes  sat  on  the  hearth  to- 


182  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

gether,  Lothaire  surprised  but  sullen.  Richard 
stirred  the  embers  so  as  to  bring  out  more 
heat,  then  spoke,  "  Prince,  will  you  let  us  be 
friends  ?  " 

"  I  must,  if  I  am  in  your  power." 

"  I  wish  you  would  be  my  guest  and  com- 
rade." 

"  Well  I  will ;  I  can't  help  it." 

Richard  thought  his  advances  might  have 
been  more  graciously  met,  and  having  little  en- 
couragement to  say  more,  took  Lothaire  to  bed 
as  soon  as  he  was  warm. 


CHAPTER   XL 

As  the  Baron  had  said,  there  was  more 
peace  now  that  Loth  aire  had  learnt  to  know 
that  he  must  submit,  and  that  no  one  cared  for 
his  threats  of  his  father's  or  his  mother's  ven- 
geance. He  was  very  sulky  and  disagreeable, 
and  severely  tried  Richard's  forbearance,  but 
there  were  no  fresh  outbursts,  and  on  the  whole, 
from  one  week  to  another,  there  might  be  said 
to  be  an  improvement.  He  could  not  always 
hold  aloof  from  one  so  good-natured  and  good- 
humored  as  the  little  Duke,  and  the  fact  of 
being  kept  in  order,  could  not  but  have  some 
beneficial  effect  on  him,  after  such  spoiling  as 
his  had  been  at  home. 

Indeed,  Osmond  was  once  heard  to  say,  it 
was  a  pity  the  boy  was  not  to  be  a  hostage  for 
life  ;  to  which  Sir  Eric  replied,  "  So  long  as  we 
have  not  the  training  of  him/' 

Little  Carloman,  meanwhile,  recovered  from 


184  THE   LITTLE    DtJKE. 

his  fears  of  all  the  inmates,  of  the  castle,  ex- 
cepting Hardigras,  at  whose  approach  he  al- 
ways shrank  and  trembled. 

He  renewed  his  friendship  with  Osmond, 
no  longer  started  at  the  entrance  of  Sir  Eric, 
laughed  at  Alberic's  merry  ways,  and  liked  to 
sit  on  Fru  Astrida's  lap,  and  hear  her  sing, 
though  he  understood  not  one  word,  but  his  es- 
pecial love  was  still  for  his  first  friend,  Duke 
Kichard.  Hand-in-hand  they  went  about  to- 
gether ;  Kichard  sometimes  lifting  him  up  the 
steep  steps,  and  out  of  consideration  for  him,  re- 
fraining from  rough-play  ;  and  Bichard  led  him  to 
join  with  him  in  those  lessons  that  Father  Lu- 
cas gave  the  children  of  the  castle,  every  Fri- 
day and  Sunday  evening  in  the  Chapel.  The 
good  Priest  stood  on  the  Altar  steps,  with  the 
children  in  a  half  circle  round  him.  the  son  and 
daughter,  of  the  armourer,  the  huntsman's  lit- 
tle son,  the  young  Baron  de  Montemar,  the 
Duke  of  Normandy,  and  the  Prince  of  France, 
all  were  equal  there,  and  together  they  learnt, 
as  he  explained  to  them  the  things  most  need- 
ful to  believe,  and  thus  Carloman  left  off  won- 
dering why  Richard  thought  it  right  to  be  good 
to  his  enemies  ;  and  though  at  first  he  had 
known  less  than  even  the  little  leather-coated 


THE   LITTLE    DUKE.  185 

huntsman,  he  seemed  to  take  the  holy  lessons  in 
faster  than  any  of  them,  yes,  and  to  act  upon 
them  too.  His  feeble  health  seemed  to  make 
him  enter  into  their  comfort  and  meaning  more 
than  even  Kichard  and  Alberic,  and  Father 
Lucas  soon  told  Fru  Astrida  -that  it  was  a 
saintly-minded  child. 

Indeed,  Carloman  was  the  more  disposed  to 
thoughtful  ness,  because  he  was  incapable  of 
joining  in  the  sports  of  the  other  boys.  A  race 
round  the  court  was  beyond  his  strength,  the 
fresh  wind  on  the  battlements  made  him  shiver 
and  cower,  and  loud  shouting  play  was  dreadful 
to  him.  In  old  times,  he  used  to  cry  when  Lo- 
thaire  told  him  he  must  have  his  hair  cut  and 
be  a  Priest ;  now,  he  only  said,  quietly,  he  should 
like  it  very  much  if  he  could  be  good  enough. 

Fru  Astrida  sighed,  and  shook  her  head,  and 
feared  the  poor  child  would  never  grow  up  to  be 
anything  on  this  earth.  Great  as  had  been  the 
difference  at  first  between  him  and  Richard,  it 
was  now  far  greater.  Richard  was  an  unusu- 
ally strong  boy  for  ten  years  old,  upright  and 
broad-chested,  and  growing  very  fast,  while  Car- 
loman seemed  to  dwindle,  stooped  forward  from 
weakness,  had  thin  pinched  feature s,  and  sallow 
cheeks,  looking  like  a  plant  kept  in  the  dark. 


186  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

The  old  Baron  said  that  hardy  healthy  hab- 
its would  restore  the  puny  children,  and 
Lothaire  improved  in  health,  and  therewith  in 
temper,  but  his  little  brother  had  not  strength 
enough  to  bear  the  seasoning.  He  pined  and 
drooped  more  each  day,  and  as  the  Autumn 
came  on,  and  the  wind  was  chilly,  he  grew 
worse,  and  was  scarcely  ever  off  the  lap  of  the 
kind  Lady  Astrida.  It  was  not  a  settled  sick- 
ness, but  he  grew  weaker  and  wasted  away. 
They  made  up  a  little  couch  for  him  by  the 
fire,  with  a  high  settle  between  it  and  the  door, 
to  keep  off  the  draughts,  and  there  he  used 
patiently  to  lie,  hour  after  hour,  speaking  feebly, 
or  smiling  and  seeming  pleased,  when  any  one 
of  those  he  loved  approached.  He  liked  Father 
Lucas  to  come  and  say  prayers  with  him,  and 
he  never  failed  to  have  a  glad  look,  when  his 
dear  little  Duke  came  to  talk  to  him  in  his 
cheerful  voice,  about  his  rides,  and  his  hunting 
and  hawking  adventures.  Kichard's  sick  guest 
took  up  much  of  his  thoughts,  and  he  never 
willingly  spent  many  hours  at  a  distance  from 
him,  softening  his  step,  and  lowering  his  voice, 
as  he  entered  the  hall,  lest  Carloman  should  be 
asleep. 

"  .Richard,  is  it  you  ?  "  said  the  little  boy, 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  187 

as  the  young  figure  came  round  the  settle  in 
the  darkening  twilight. 

"  Yes  ;  how  do  you  feel  now,  Carloman,  are 
you  better  ?  " 

"  No  better,  thanks,  dear  Kichard,"  and  the 
little  wasted  fingers  were  put  into  his. 

"  Has  the  pain  come  again  ?  " 

"  No,  I  have  been  lying  still,  musing ; 
Kichard,  I  shall  never  be  better." 

"  0  do  not  say  so  :  you  will,  indeed  you 
will,  when  spring  comes." 

"  I  feel  as  if  I  should  die,"  said  the  little 
boy.  "I  think  I  shall,  but  do  not  grieve, 
Kichard.  I  do  not  feel  much  afraid.  You  said 
it  was  happier  there  than  here,  and  I  know  it 
now." 

"  Where  my  blessed  father  is,"  said  Kichard 
thoughtfully.  "  But  0,  Carloman,  you  are  so 
young  to  die." 

"  I  do  not  want  to  live.  This  is  a  fighting 
hard  world,  full  of  cruel  people,  and  it  is  peace 
there.  You  are  strong,  and  brave,  and  will 
make  them  better  ;  but  I  am  weak  and  fearful, 
I  could  only  sigh  and  grieve." 

"  0,  Carloman  !  Carloman  !  I  cannot  spare 
you.     I  love  you   like  my  own  brother.     You 


0 

188  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

must  not  die,  you  must  live  to  see  your  father 
and  mother  again  !  " 

"  Commend  me  to  them/'  said  Carloman,  "  I 
am  going  to  my  Father  in  Heaven.  I  am  glad 
I  am  here,  Richard.  I  never  was  so  happy  be- 
fore. I  should  have  been  afraid  indeed  to  die, 
if  Father  Lucas  had  not  taught  me  how  my  sins 
are  pardoned.  Now,  I  think,  the  Saints  and 
Angels  are  waiting  for  me." 

He  spoke  feebly,  and  his  last  words  faultered 
into  sleep.  He  slept  on,  and  when  supper  was 
brought,  and  the  lamps  were  lighted,  Fru  Astrida 
thought  the  little  face  looked  unusually  pale  and 
waxen,  but  he  did  not  awake.  At  night  they 
carried  him  to  his  bed,  and  he  was  roused  into 
a  half  conscious  state,  moaning  at  being  dis- 
turbed. Fru  Astrida  would  not  leave  him,  and 
Father  Lucas  shared  her  watch. 

At  midnight,  all  were  wakened  by  the  slow 
notes,  falling  one  by  one  on  the  ear,  of  the 
solemn  passing-bell,  calling  them  to  awaken  that 
their  prayers  might  speed  a  soul  on  its  way. 
Richard  and  Lothaire  were  soon  at  the  bed-side. 
Carloman  still  lay  asleep,  his  hands  folded  on 
his  breast,  but  his  breath  came  in  long  gasps. 
Father  Lucas  was  praying  over  him,  and  can- 
dles were  placed  on  each  side  of  the  bed.     All 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  189 

was  still,  the  boys  not  daring  to  speak  or  move. 
There  came  a  longer  breath — then  they  heard 
no  more  !  He  was,  indeed,  gone  to  a  happier 
home,  a  truer  royalty  than  ever  had  been  his  on 
earth. 

Then  the  boys'  grief  burst  out.  Lothaire 
screamed  for  his  mother,  and  sobbed  out  that  he 
should  die  too,  he  must  go  home.  Richard 
stood  by  the  bed,  large  silent  tears  rolling  down 
his  cheeks,  and  his  chest  heaving  with  suppressed 
sobs. 

Fru  Astrida  led  them  from  the  room,  back  to 
their  beds.  Lothaire  soon  cried  himself  to 
sleep  ;  Richard  lay  awake,  sorrowful,  and  in 
deep  thought,  while  that  scene  in  St.  Mary's  at 
Rouen  returned  before  his  eyes,  and  though  it 
had  passed  nearly  two  years  ago,  its  meaning 
and  its  teaching  had  sunk  deep  into  his  mind, 
and  now  stood  before  him  more  completely. 

"  Where  shall  I  go,  when  I  come  to  die,  if 
I  have  not  returned  good  for  evil  ?  "  And  a  reso- 
lution was  taken  in  the  mind  of  the  little 
Duke. 

Morning  came,  and  brought  back  the  sense 
that  his  gentle  little  companion  was  gone  from 
him  ;  and  Richard  wept  again,  as  if  he  could 
not  be  consoled,  as  he  beheld  the  screened  couch 


190  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

where  the  patient  smile  would  never  again  greet 
him.  He  now  knew  that  he  had  loved  Carlo- 
man  all  the  more  for  his  weakness  and  helpless- 
ness ;  but  his  grief  was  not  like  Lothaire's  ;  for 
with  the  Prince's,  was  still  joined  a  selfish  fear  ; 
his  cry  was  still,  that  he  should  die  too,  if  not 
set  free,  and  violent  weeping  really  made  him 
heavy  and  ill. 

The  little  corpse  embalmed  and  lapped  in 
lead,  was  to  be  sent  back  to  France,  that  it 
might  rest  with  its  forefathers  in  the  city  of 
Rheims  ;  and  Lothaire  seemed  to  feel  this  as  an 
additional  stroke  of  desertion.  He  was  almost 
beside  himself  with  despair,  imploring  every 
one,  in  turn,  to  send  him  home,  though  he  well 
knew  they  were  unable  to  do  so. 


CHAPTEE   XII. 

"Sir  Eric,"  said  Eichard,  "you  told  me 
there  was  a  Parlement  to  be  held  at  Falaise, 
between  Count  Bernard  and  the  King  of  Den- 
mark. I  mean  to  attend  it.  Will  you  come 
with  me,  or  shall  Osmond  go,  and  you  remain 
in  charge  of  the  Prince  ?  " 

"  How  now,  Lord  Eichard,  you  were  not 
wont  to  love  a  Parlement  ?  " 

"  I  have  something  to  say,"  replied  Eichard, 

The  Baron  made  no  objection,  only  telling 
his  mother  that  the  Duke  was  a  marvellous 
wise  child,  and  that  he  would  soon  be  fit  to  take 
the  government  himself. 

Lothaire  lamented  the  more  when  he  found 
that  Eichard  was  going  away ;  his  presence 
seemed  to  him  a  protection,  and  he  fancied,  now 
Carloman  was  dead,  that  his  former  injuries 
were  about  to  be  revenged.  The  Duke  assured 
him  repeatedly,  that  he  meant  him  nothing  but 


192  THE    LITTLE    DUKE. 

kindness,  adding,  "  When  I  return,  you  will  see, 
Lothaire  ; "  then  commending  him  to  the  care 
and  kindness  of  Fru  Astrida,  Osmond,  and  Al- 
beric,  Eichard  set  forth  upon  his  pony,  attended 
by  Sir  Eric  and  three  men-at-arms. 

Eichard  felt  sad  when  he  looked  back  at 
Bayeux,  and  thought  that  it  no  longer  contained 
his  dear  little  friend  ;  but  it  was  a  fresh,  bright 
frosty  morning,  the  fields  were  covered  with  a 
silvery  white  coating,  the  flakes  of  hoar-frost 
sparkled  on  every  bush,  and  the  hard  ground 
rung  cheerily  to  the  tread  of  the  horses7  feet. 
As  the  yellow  sun  fought  his  way  through  the 
grey  mist  that  dimmed  his  brightness,  and  shone 
out  merrily  in  the  blue  heights  of  the  sky, 
Eichard' s  spirits  rose,  and  he  laughed  and 
shouted,  as  hare  or  rabbit  rushed  across  the 
heath,  or  as  the  plover  rose,  screaming  above 
his  head,  flapping  her  broad  wings  across  the 
wintry  sky. 

One  night  they  slept  at  a  Convent,  where 
they  heard  that  Hugh  of  Paris  had  passed  on 
to  join  the  conference  at  Falaise.  The  next 
day  they  rode  on,  and  towards  the  afternoon, 
the  Baron  pointed  to  a  sharp  rocky  range  of 
hills,  crowned  by  a  tall  solid  tower,  and    told 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  193 

Richard,  yonder  was  his  keep  of  Falaise>  the 
strongest  castle  in  Normandy. 

The  country  was  far  more  broken  as  they 
advanced  ;  narrow  valleys,  and  sharp  hills,  each 
little  vale  full  of  wood  and  interspersed  with 
rocks.  "A  choice  place  for  ganie,"  Sir  Eric 
said  ;  and  Richard,  as  he  saw  a  herd  of  deer 
dash  down  a  forest  glade,  exclaimed,  "  that  they 
must  come  here  to  stay,  for  some  Autumn 
sport." 

There  seemed  to  be  huntsmen  abroad  in  the 
woods,  for  through  the  frosty  air  came  the  bay- 
ing of  dogs,  the  shouts  and  calls  of  men,  and  now 
and  then,  the  echoing  ringing  notes  of  a  bugle. 
Richard's  eyes  and  cheeks  glowed  with  excite- 
ment, and  he  pushed  his  brisk  little  pony  on 
faster  and  faster,  unheeding  that  the  heavier 
men  and  horses  of  his  suite,  were  not  keeping 
pace  with  him,  on  the  rough  ground,  and  through 
the  tangled  boughs. 

Presently,  a  strange  sound  of  growling  and 
snarling  was  heard  close  at  hand  ;  his  pony 
swerved  aside,  and  could  not  be  made  to  ad- 
vance, so  Richard,  dismounting,  dashed  through 
some  briars,  and  there,  on  an  open  space,  be- 
neath a  precipice  of  dark  ivy-covered  rock  that 
ruse  like  a  wall,  he  beheld  a  huge  grey  wolf,  and 
9 


194  THE    LITTLE   DUKE. 

a  large  dog  in  mortal  combat.  It  was  as  if  they 
had  fallen  or  rolled  down  the  precipice  together, 
not  heeding  it  in  their  fury.  Both  were  bleed- 
ing, and  the  eyes  of  both  glared  like  red  fiery 
glass  in  the  dark  shadow  of  the  rock.  The  dog 
lay  undermost,  almost  overpowered,  making  but 
a  feeble  resistance;  and  the  wclf  would,  in 
another  moment,  be  at  liberty  to  spring  on  the 
lonely  child  ! 

But  not  a  thought  of  fear  passed  through  his 
breast ;  to  save  the  dog,  was  Richard's  only 
idea  ;  in  one  moment,  he  had  drawn  the  dag- 
ger he  wore  at  his  girdle,  ran  to  the  two  strug- 
gling animals,  and  with  all  his  force  plunged  it 
into  the  throat  of  the  wolf,  which  happily  was 
still  held  by  the  teeth  of  the  hound. 

The  struggles  relaxed,  the  wolf  rolled  heavily 
aside,  dead  ;  the  dog  lay  panting  and  bleeding, 
and  Eichard  feared  he  was  cruelly  torn.  "  Poor 
fellow,  noble  dog,  what  shall  I  do  to  help  you  ?  " 
and  he  gently  smoothed  the  dark  brindled 
head. 

A  voice  was  now  heard  shouting  aloud,  at 
which  the  dog  raised  and  crested  his  head,  as  a  fig- 
ure in  a  hunting-dress  was  coming  down  a  rocky 
pathway,  an  extremely  tall,  well-made  man  of 
noble   features.       "  Ha  !    hallo  !    Vige  !    Vige  ! 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  195 

How  now  ?  my  brave  hound  ! "  he  said  in  the 
Northern  tongue,  though  not  quite  with  the  ac- 
cent Richard  was  accustomed  to  hear,  "  Art 
hurt  ?  " 

u  Much  torn,  I  fear,"  Richard  called  out,  as 
the  faithful  creature  wagged  his  tail,  and  strove 
to  rise  and  meet  his  master. 

"  Ha  !  lad  !  what  art  thou  ?  "  exclaimed 
the  hunter,  amazed  at  seeing  the  boy  between 
the  dead  wolf  and  wounded  dog.  "You  look 
like  one  of  those  Frenchified  Norman  gentilesse, 
with  your  smooth  looks  and  gilded  baldrick,  yet 
your  words  are  Norse.  By  the  hammer  of  Thor  ! 
that  is  a  dagger  in  the  wolfs  throat/'' 

"It  is  mine/'  said  Richard.  " I  found  your 
dog  nearly  spent,  and  I  made  in  to  the  rescue." 

"  You  did  ?  Well  done  !  I  would  not  have 
lost  Yige  for  all  the  plunder  of  Italy.  I  am  be- 
holden to  you,  my  brave  young  lad,"  said  the 
stranger,  all  the  time  examining  and  caressing 
the  hound.  "  What  is  your  name  ?  you  cannot 
be  southern  bred." 

As  he  spoke,  more  shouts  came  nearer,  and 
the  Baron  de  Centeville  rushed  through  the 
trees,  holding  Richard's  pony  by  the  bridle. 
"  My  Lord,  my  Lord  !  oh  !  thank  Heaven,  I 
see  you  safe  S  "     At  the  same  moment  a  party 


196  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

of  hunters  also  approached  by  the  path,  and  at 
the  head  of  them,  Bernard  the  Dane. 

"  Ha  !  "  exclaimed  he,  "  what  do  I  see  ? 
My  young  Lord  !  what  brought  you  here  ? " 
And  with  hasty  obeisance,  Bernard  took  Rich- 
ard's outstretched  hand.  "  I  came  hither  to  at- 
tend your  council/'  replied  Richard.  "  I  have  a 
boon  to  ask  from  the  King  of  Denmark/' 

"  Any  boon  the  King  of  Denmark  has  in 
his  power  will  be  yours,"  said  the  dog's  master, 
slapping  his  hand  on  the  little  Duke's  shoulder, 
with  a  rude  hearty  familiarity  that  took  him  by 
surprise,  and  he  looked  up  with  a  shade  of 
offence,  till,  on  a  sudden  flash  of  perception,  he 
took  of  his  cap,  exclaiming  "  King  Harald  him- 
self !  pardon  me,  Sir  King." 

"Pardon,  Jarl  Richard!  what  would  you 
have  me  pardon  ?  your  saving  the  life  of  Vige 
here  ?  No  French  politeness  for  me.  Tell  me 
your  boon,  and  it  is  yours.  Shall  I  take  you  a 
voyage,  and  harry  the  fat  monks  of  Ireland  ?  " 

Richard  recoiled  a  little  from  his  new  friend. 

u  Oh,  ah  !  I  forgot.  They  have  made  a 
Christian  of  you,  more's  the  pity.  You  have 
the  northern  spirit  so  strong,  I  had  forgotten  it. 
Come,  walk  by  my  side,  and  let  me  hear  what 
you  would  ask.     Holla  !  you  Sweyn,  carry  Vige 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  197 

up  to  the  castle,  and  look  to  his  wounds.  Now 
for  it,  young  Jarl." 

"My  boon  is,  that  you  would  set  free 
Prince  Lothaire." 

"  What  ?  The  young  Frank  ?  Why  ! 
they  kept  you  captive,  burnt  your  face,  and 
would  have  made  an  end  of  you,  but  for  your 
clever  bonder." 

"That  is  long  past,  and  Lothaire  is  so 
wretched.  His  brother  is  dead,  and  he  is  sick 
with  grief,  and  he  says  he  shall  die,  if  he  does 
not  go  horne." 

"  A  good  thing  too,  for  the  treacherous  race 
to  die  out  in  him  !  What  should  you  care  for 
him  ?  he  is  your  foe." 

"  I  am  a  Christian,"  was  Richard's  answer. 

"  Well,  I  promised  you  whatever  you  might 
ask.  All  my  share  of  his  ransom,  or  his  person, 
bond  or  free,  is  yours.  You  have  only  to  pre- 
vail with  your  own  Jarls  and  Bonders." 

Richard  feared  this  would  be  more  difficult, 
but  Abbot  Martin  came  to  the  meeting,  and 
took  his  part.  Moreover,  the  idea  of  their  host- 
age dying  in  their  hands,  so  as  to  leave  them 
without  hold  upon  the  King,  had  much  weight 
with   them  ;  and  after  long  deliberation,  they 


198  THE    LITTLE    DUEE. 

consented  that  Lothaire  should  be  restored  to 
his  father  without  ransom,  but  only  on  condi- 
tion that  Louis  should  guarantee  to  the  Duke 
the  peaceable  possession  of  the  country,  as  far  as 
St.  Clair  sur  Epte,  which  had  long  been  in  dis- 
pute, so  that  Alberic  became,  indisputably,  a 
vassal  of  Normandy. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  happiest  day  in  Richard's 
life,  when  he  rode  back  to  Bayeux,  to  desire 
Lothaire  to  prepare  to  come  with  him  to  St 
Clair,  there  to  be  given  back  into  the  hands  of 
his  father. 

And  there  they  met  King  Louis,  grave  and 
sorrowful  for  the  loss  of  his  little  Carloman,  and, 
for  the  time,  repenting  of  his  misdeeds  towards 
the  orphan  heir  of  Normandy. 

He  pressed  the  Duke  in  his  arms,  and  his 
kiss  was  a  genuine  one,  as  he  sa'd,  "  Duke 
Richard,  we  have  not  deserved  this  of  you.  I 
did  not  treat  you  as  you  have  treated  my  children. 
We  will  be  true  Lord  and  vassal  frpm  henceforth. 
Lothaire's  last  words  were,  "  Farewell,  Richard. 
If  I  lived  with  you,  I  might  be  good  like  you. 
I  will  never  forget  what  you  have  done  for  me." 

When  Richard  once  more  entered  Rouen  in 
state,  his  subjects  shouting  round  him  in  trans- 


THE    LITTLE   DUKE.  199 

ports  of  joy,  better  than  all  his  honour  and  glory, 
was  the  being  able  to  enter  the  Church  of  our 
Lady,  and  kneel  by  his  father's  grave  with 
a  clear  conscience,  and  the  sense  that  he  had 
tried  to  keep  that  last  injunction. 


CONCLUSION. 

Years  had  passed  away.  The  oaths  of  Louis, 
and  promises  of  Lothaire,  had  been  broken;  and 
Arnulf  of  Flanders,  the  murderer  of  Duke 
William,  had  incited  them  to  repeated  and 
treacherous  inroads  on  Normandy,  so  that 
Richard's  life  from  fourteen  to  five  or  six  and 
twenty,  had  been  one  long  war  in  defence  of  his 
country.  But  it  had  been  a  glorious  war  for  him, 
and  his  gallant  deeds  had  well  earned  for  him, 
the  title  of  "  Bichard  the  Fearless,"  a  name  well 
deserved,  for  there  was  but  one  thing  he  feared, 
and  that  was  to  do  wrong. 

By  and  by,  success  and  peace  came,  and 
then  Arnulf  of  Flanders,  finding  open  force  would 
not  destroy  him,  three  times  made  attempts  to 
assassinate  him,  like  his  father,  by  treachery; 
but  all  these  had  failed,  and  now  Bichard  had 
enjoyed  many  years  of  peace  and  honour,  whilst 
his  enemies  had  vanished  from  his  sight. 

King  Louis  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  his 


T.HE    LITTLE    DUKE.  201 

horse,  Lothaire  died  in  early  youth,  and  in  him, 
ended  the  degenerate  line  of  Charlemagne ;  Hugh 
Capet,  the  son  of  Richard's  old  friend,  Hugh  the 
White,  was  on  the  throne  of  France,  his  sure 
ally  and  brother-in-law ;  looking  to  him  for 
advice  and  aid  in  all  his  undertakings. 

Fru  Astrida  and  Sir  Eric  had  long  been  in 
their  quiet  graves;  Osmond  and  Alberic  were 
among  Richard's  most  trusty  councillors  and 
warriors ;  Abbot  Martin,  in  extreme  old  age, 
still  ruled  the  Abbey  of  Jumieges,  where  Ki  ch- 
ard, like  his  father,  loved  to  visit  him,  hold 
converse  with  him,  and  refresh  himself  in  the 
peaceful  cloister,  after  the  affairs  of  state  and 
war. 

And  Richard  himself,  was  a  grey-headed 
man,  of  lofty  stature,  and  majestic  bearing.  His 
eldest  son  was  older  than  he  had  been  himself, 
when  he  became  the  little  Duke,  and  he  had 
even  begun  to  remember  his  father's  project  of 
an  old  age,  to  be  spent  in  retirement  and  peace. 

It  was  on  a  summer  eve,  that  Duke  Richard 
sat  beside  the  white-bearded  old  Abbot  within 
the  porch,  looking  at  the  sun  shining  with  soft 
declining  beams  on  the  arches  and  columns ; 
they  spoke  together  of  that  burial  at  Rouen, 
and  of  the  silver  key;  the  Abbot  delighting  to 
9* 


202  THE   LITTLE    DUKE. 

tell  over  and  over  again,  all  the  good  deeds 
and  good  sayings  of  William  Longsword. 

As  they  sat,  a  man,  also  very  old,  shrivelled, 
and  bent,  came  up  to  the  cloister  gate  with  the 
tottering  feeble  step  of  one  pursued  beyond  his 
strength,  coming  to  take  sanctuary. 

"  What  can  be  the  crime  of  one  so  aged  and 
feeble  ?  "  said  the  Duke,  in  surprise. 

At  the  sight  of  him,  a  look  of  terror  shot 
from  the  old  man's  eye.  He  clasped  his  hands 
together,  and  turned,  as  if  to  flee,  then  finding 
himself  incapable  of  escape,  he  threw  himself  on 
the  ground  before  him. 

"  Mercy,  mercy  !  noble,  most  noble  Duke  !  " 
was  all  he  said. 

"  Rise  up,  kneel  not  to  me.  I  cannot  brook 
this  from  one  who  might  be  my  father,"  said 
Richard,  trying  to  raise  him;  but  at  those  words 
the  old  man  groaned,  and  crouched  lower  still. 

"  Who  art  thou  ?  "  said  the  Duke.  "  In  this 
holy  place  thou  art  secure,  be  thy  deed  what  it 
may.     Speak  !  who  art  thou?  " 

"  Dost  thou  not  know  me  ?  "  said  the  sup- 
pliant. "  Promise  mercy,  ere  thou  dost  hear  my 
name." 

"I  have  seen  that  face  under  a  helmet,"  said 
the   Duke.     "  Thou  art  Arnulf  of  Flanders  ! ' 


The  Revenue.     Pare  202. 


THE    LITTLE    DUKE.  203 

There  was  a  deep  silence. 

"  And  wherefore  art  thou  here  ?  " 

"  I  delayed  to  own  the  French  King  Hugh. 
He  has  taken  my  towns,  and  ravaged  my  lands. 
Each  Frenchman,  and  each  Norman,  vows  to 
slay  me  in  revenge  for  your  wrongs,  Lord  Duke. 
I  have  been  driven  hither  and  thither,  in  fear 
of  my  life,  till  I  thought  of  the  renown  of  Duke 
Richard,  as  not  merely  the  most  fearless,  but  the 
most  merciful  of  Princes.  I  sought  to  come 
hither,  trusting,  that  when  the  holy  Father 
Abbot  beheld  my  bitter  repentance,  he  would 
intercede  for  me,  with  you,  most  noble  Prince, 
for  my  safety  and  forgiveness.  Oh  gallant  Duke, 
forgive  and  spare  !  " 

"  Rise  up,  Arnulf,"  said  Richard.  "  Where 
the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  stricken,  it  is  not  for 
man  to  exact  his  own  reckoning.  My  father's 
death  has  been  long  forgiven,  and  what  you 
have  planned  against  myself,  has,  by  the  bless- 
ing of  Heaven,  been  brought  to  naught.  From 
Normans,  at  least  you  are  safe  and  it  shall  be 
my  work,  to  ensure  your  pardon  from  my  brother 
the  King.  Come  into  the  refectory,  you  need 
refreshment,  the  Lord  Abbot  makes  you  wel- 
come."*17 

Tears   of  gratitude   and    true    repentance 


204  THE   LITTLE   DUKE. 

choked  ArniuTs  speech,  and  he  allowed  himself 
to  be  raised  from  the  ground,  and  was  forced  to 
accept  the  support  of  the  Duke's  arm. 

The  venerable  Abbot  slowly  rose,  and  held 
up  his  hand  in  an  attitude  of  blessing. 

"  The  blessing  of  a  merciful  God,  be  upon 
the  sinner  who  turneth  from  his  evil  way,  and 
ten  thousand  blessings  of  pardon  and  peace  are 
already  on  the  head  of  him  who  hath  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  forgive  and  aid  him,  who  was 
once  his  most  grievous  foe  ! " 


THE     END. 


NOTES. 


CHAPTER  I. —Page  8. 

1  Richard's  place  of  education  was  Bayeux,  for  as  Duke 
William  says  in  the  rhymed  Chronicle  of  Normandy  :  — 

Si  a  Roem  le  faz  garder 
E  norir,  gaires  longement 
II  ne  saura  parlier  neiant 
Daneis,  kar  nul  n  l'i  parole. 
Si  voil  qu'il  seit  a  tele  escole 
Ou  Fen  le  sache  endoctriner 
Que  as  Daneis  sache  parler. 
Ci  ne  sevent  riens  fors  Romanz, 
Mais  a  Baieux  en  a  tanz 
Qui  ne  sevent  si  Daneis  non. 

Page  12. 

2  Bernard  was  founder  of  the  family  of  Harcourt  of  Nune- 
ham.     Ferrieres  the  ancestor  of  that  of  Ferrars. 

Page  14. 

3  In  the  same  Chronicle,  William  Longsword  directs  that: — 

Tant  seit  apris  qu'il  lise  un  bref 
Kar  ceo  ne  li  ert  pas  trop  gref. 

Page  15. 

4  Hako  of  Norway  was  educated  by  Ethelstane  of  England. 
It  was  Foulques  le  bon,  the  contemporary  Count  of  Anjou, 
who,  when  derided  by  Louis  IV.  for  serving  in  the  choir  of 
Tours,  wrote  the  following  retort : — "  The  Count  of  Anjou  to 
the  King  of  France.  Apprenez,  Monseigneur,  qu'un  roi  sans 
lettres  est  un  ane  couronne." 


206  NOTES. 

Page  17. 

5  The  banner  of  Normandy  was  a  Cross  till  William  the 
Conqueror  adopted  the  Lion. 

CHAPTER  II— Page  26. 

6  "  Sire,  soies  mon  escus,  soies  mes  defendeinens." 

Histoire  des  Dues  of  Normandie. — (Michel.) 

Page  33. 

7  The  Cathedral  was  afterwards  built  by  Richard  himself. 

CHAPTER  III.— Page  43. 

8  Sus  le  maistre  autel  del  iglise 
Li  unt  sa  feaute  juree. 

Page  49. 

9  Une  clef  d'argent  unt  trovee 
A  sun  braiol  estreit  noee. 
Toute  la  gent  se  merveillont 
Que  eete  clef  signifiont. 


Ni  la  cuoule  e  l'estamine 
En  aveit  il  en  un  archete, 
Que  disfermeront  ceste  clavete. 
De  sol  itant  ert  tresorier 
Kar  nul  tresor  n'avait  plus  cher. 
The  history  of  the  adventures  of  Jumieges  is  literally  true, 
as  is  Martin's  refusal  to  admit  the  Duke  to  the  cloister : — 
Dun  ne  t'a  Deus  mis  e  pose 
Prince  gardain  de  sainte  iglise 
E  pur  tenir  leial  justise. 

CHAPTER  IV.— Page  54. 
10  An  attack,  in  which  Riouf,  Vicomte  du  Cotentin,  placed 
Normandy  in  the  utmost  danger.  He  was  defeated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Seine,  in  a  field  still  called  the  Pre  de  Bataille, 
on  the  very  day  of  Richard's  birth,  so  that  the  Te  Deum  was 
sung  at  once  for  the  victory  and  the  birth  of  the  heir  of  Nor- 
mandy. 


NOTES.  207 

CHAPTER  V.— Page  87. 

11  "  Biaus  Segnors,  vees  chi  vo  segneur,  je  ne  le  vous  voel 
tolir,  mais  je  estoie  verms  en  cestewille,  prendre  consel  a  vous, 
comment  je  poroie  vengier  la  mort  son  pere,  qui  me  rapiela 
d'Engletiere.  II  me  fist  roi,  il  me  fist  avoir  l'amour  le  roi 
dAlemaigne,  il  leva  mon  fil  de  fons,  il  me  fist  toz  les  biens,  et 
jou  en  renderai  au  fill  le  guerredon  se  je  puis."  Michel. 

CHAPTER  VIL— Page  126. 

12  In  a  battle  fought  with  Lothaire  at  Charmenil,  Richard 
saved  the  life  of  Walter  the  huntsman,  who  had  been  with 
him  from  his  youth. 

Page  127. 

1 3  At  fourteen  years  of  age,  Richard  was  betrothed  to  Eu- 
macette  of  Paris,  then  but  eight  years  old.#  In  such  esteem 
did  Hugues  le  blanc  hold  his  son-in-law,  that  on  his  death- 
bed, he  committed  his  son  Hugues  Capet  to  his  guardianship, 
though  the  Duke  was  then  scarcely  above  twenty,  proposing 
him  as  the  model  of  wisdom  and  of  chivalry. 

Page  133. 

14  "  Osmons,  qui  l'enfant  ensenguoit  Fen  menai  jour  en  ri- 
viere, et  quant  il  revint,  la  reine  Gerberge  dist  que  se  il  jamais 
l'enmenait  fors  des  murs,  elle  li  ferait  les  ielx  crever."  Michel. 

CHAPTER  VIII.— Page  157. 

15  "  Gules,  two  wings  conjoined  in  lure,  or,"  is  the  original 
coat  of  St.  Maur  or  Seymour,  said  to  be  derived  from  Osmond 
de  Centeville,  who  assumed  them  in  honour  of  his  flight  with 
Duke  Richard.  His  direct  descendants  in  Normandy  were 
the  Marquises  of  Osmond,  whose  arms  were,  gules,  two  wings 
ermine.  In  1789,  there  were  two  survivors  of  the  line  of 
Centeville,  one  a  canon  of  Notre  Dame,  the  other  a  Chevalier 
de  St.  Louis,  who  died  childless. 

Page  158. 

16  Harald  of  Norway,  who  made  a  vow  never  to  trim  his 
hair  till  he  had  made  himself  sole  king  of  the  country.     The 


208     .  NOTES. 

•war  lasted  tea  years,  and  he  thus  might  well  'come  to  deserve 
his  title  of  Horrid-locks,  which  was  changed  to  that  of  Har- 
fagre,  or  fair-haired,  when  he  celebrated  his  final  victory,  by 
going  into  a  bath  at  More,  and  committing  his  shaggy  hair  to 
be  cut  and  arranged  by  his  friend,  Jarl  Rognwald,  father  of 
Rollo. 

CONCLUSION".— Page  203. 
17  Richard  obtained  for  Arnulf  the  restitution  of  Arras,  and 
several  other  Flemish  towns.  He  died  eight  years  afterwards, 
in  996,  leaving  several  children,  among  whom,  his  daughter 
Emma  is  connected  with  English  history  by  her  marriage, 
first  with  Ethelred  the  Unready,  and  secondly,  with  Knute, 
the  grandson  of  his  firm  friend  and  ally,  Harald  Blue-tooth. 
His  son  was  Richard,  called  the  Good,  his  grandson,  Robert 
the  Magnificent,  his  great-grandson,  William  the  Conqueror, 
who  brought  the  Norman  race  to  England.  Few  names  in 
history  shine  with  so  consistent  a  lustre  as  that  of  Richard,  at 
first  the  little  Duke,  afterwards  Richard  aux  longues  jambes, 
but  always  Richard  Sans  peur.  This  little  sketch  has  only 
brought  forward  the  perils  of  his  childhood,  but  his  early  man- 
hood was  likewise  full  of  adventures,  in  which  he  always 
proved  himself  brave,  honourable,  pious,  and  forbearing ;  but 
for  these,  our  readers  must  search  for  themselves  into  early 
French  history,  where  all  they  will  find  concerning  our  hero, 
will  only  tend  to  exalt  his  character. 


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m 
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